Skip to main content

Full text of "Recollections of a long life, with additional extracts from his private diaries : Edited by his daughter, Lady Dorchester"

See other formats 


HANDBOUND 
AT  THE 


UNIVERSITY  OF 


RECOLLECTIONS   OF  A  LONG   LIFE 


Es  1st  eine  alte  Geschichte 
Doch  bleibt  es  immer  treu. 

HEINE. 


EARL  GREY. 
From  the  picture  by  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence,  P.R.A.,  in  the  National  Portrait  Gallery. 

[Frontispiece. 


RECOLLECTIONS     OF 
A   LONG    LIFE 

BY    LORD    BROUGHTON 

(JOHN   CAM   HOBHOUSE) 

WITH   ADDITIONAL  EXTRACTS 
FROM   HIS   PRIVATE   DIARIES 


EDITED     BY     HIS     DAUGHTER 

LADY    DORCHESTER 


WITH   PORTRAITS.     IN   FOUR  VOLUMES 
VOL.     IV.          1829 — 1834 


LONDON 
JOHN  MURRAY,  ALBEMARLE  STREET,  W. 

1910 


PRINTED  BT 

HAZELL,  WATSON  AND  VINEY,   LD., 
LONDON  AND  AYLESBURY. 


DA 


BIS  /1  3 

v.y 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER    IX 

Duke  and  Duchess  of  Clarence — Continental  Opinion  of  Wellington 
— Allan  Cunningham — The  Byron  Copyrights — Moore's  Life — Death 
of  George  Tierney — O'Connell's  Parliamentary  Value — Unopened 
American  Despatches — Funeral  of  Douglas  Kinnaird — David  Wilkie 
— Ugo  Foscolo — Jewish  Disabilities  Bill — The  Byron  Separation — 
Buonaparte  at  St.  Helena — "  His  Majesty's  Opposition  " — Fanny 
Kemble  as  Juliet — Thomas  Campbell — Samuel  Rogers — Sermon  by 
Sydney  Smith — Joseph  Hume  and  Middlesex — Death  of  George  IV. — 
The  New  King — The  Regency  Question — The  Revolution  of  July — 
Accession  of  Louis  Philippe — Gait's  Life  of  Byron — The  King  at 
Brighton— Death  of  Mr.  Huskisson  .  .  .4  pp.  1-50 


CHAPTER    X 

Charles  X.— The  Struggle  in  Belgium— Trouble  in  the  City— Van- 
derweyer  and  Wellington — Sir  Edward  Codrington — End  of  the 
Wellington  Ministry  —  The  New  Government  —  Lord  Chancellor 
Brougham — At  Holland  House — Alarm  at  Paris — Moore's  Life  of 
Byron — A  Day  of  Fasting — Reform  Bill  introduced — Lord  Grey — 
Rejection  defeated — Count  Walewski  .  .  .  .  pp.  51-99 


CHAPTER    XI 

Excitement  in  Parliament — Misunderstanding  with  Peel — West- 
minster Dinner — Lady  Julia  Hobhouse  ill — The  Second  Reform  Bill — 
Paganini — Opening  of  London  Bridge — Death  of  Sir  Benjamin 
Hobhouse— Social  Reform  Bills  carried  .  .  .  .  pp.  100-137 

vii 


viii  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER    XII 

Democratic  Excitement — Anti-Reform  Successes — The  National 
Union — Lord  John  Russell's  New  Bill — Macaulay  and  Croker — A 
Handsome  Majority— The  Hothams— T.  P.  Cooke— "  God  Almighty's 
Aristocracy  " — Secretary-at-War — Kissing  Hands  as  Minister — Un- 
contested  Re-election — Proposals  to  create  Peers — The  Garrick  Club — 
The  King's  First  Levee — Lord  Althorp's  Dilemma — Dangers  from 
Birmingham — Flogging  in  the  Army  ....  pp.  138-200 


CHAPTER   XIII 


Audience  with  the  King — James  Hogg — Lady  Holland — Depressed 
— The  Princess  Victoria — Prince  Czartoryski — Reform  Bill  in  the  Lords 
— Second  Reading  carried — Tales  of  Lord  Townshend — Crisis  Day — 
Meeting  at  Brooks's — The  New  Government — Baring  and  Wellington — 
Opposition  of  the  Lords — Guarantees  secured — Progress  of  the  Reform 
Bill — The  Duke  of  Sussex — The  King's  Anger — Revolution  in  Paris 
— Unpopularity  of  the  King  and  Queen — Chelsea  Hospital — The 
Flogging  Question — Farewell  of  the  Speaker — Prorogation  of  Parlia- 
ment    pp.  201-251 


CHAPTER    XIV 

Nelson  and  Bobbing— An  Efficient  War  Office— Statesmen  of  the 
Day — Lord  Durham — Re-elected  for  Westminster — Army  Reforms — 
The  House  and  Window  Tax— Emancipation  of  Slaves— Nahmek 
Pasha — Mehemet  Ali — Election  of  Sutton  as  Speaker — "  The  Bird  of 
Prey  " — Irish  Church  Reform— Military  Reductions— Ministerial 
Troubles— Sinecures  and  Economy— The  Irish  Coercion  Bill— A  Dead- 
lock—Lord Goderich's  Reluctance  to  resign— At  the  Irish  Office- 
Debate  on  Currency— Resignation— Re-nominated  for  Westminster- 
Defeated  pp.  252-313 


CHAPTER    XV 

The  Duchess  of  Kent— Aspects  of  Wellington— Illness  of  Lady  Julia 
— At  Lord  Harrington's— The   Zoological  Gardens — Basildon  Park— 


CONTENTS  IX 

Macaulay — Ada  Byron — Procession  of  Trades  Unions — Lady  Holland's 
Testimony — Affairs  in  France — At  the  Duchess  of  Kent's — O'Connell 
and  Ireland — No  Canvass  or  Pledges — Trouble  in  the  Cabinet — New 
Appointments — Conversation  with  Lord  Tavistock — Quarrel  between 
Ellice  and  Durham — Resignation  of  Lord  Grey — Minister  for  Woods 
and  Forests — Elected  for  Nottingham — In  the  Cabinet — The  Minis- 
terial Fish-dinner— The  King  and  the  People .  .  .  pp.  314-363 


APPENDIX 

Table    of    Administrations  during    the   Period    covered    by   these 
Volumes pp.  364-365 


INDEX pp.  367-383 


VOL.    IV 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


EARL  GREY Frontispiece 

From  the  picture  by  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence,  P.R.A.,  in  the  National  Portrait 
Gallery. 

FACING   PAGE 

ELIZABETH,  THIRD  LADY  HOLLAND 75 

From  the  picture  by  Robert  Fagan  at  Holland  House.     By  kind  permission  of 
Mary,  Countess  of  Ilchester. 

LORD  ALTHORP .         .         .         .         .         .        .         .         .181 

John  Charles,  Third  Earl  Spencer  (Viscount  Althorp).     By  Sir  G.  Hayter.     By 
kind  permission  of  his  nephew,  Viscount  Althorp,  to  Lady  Dorchester. 

SIR  FRANCIS  BURDETT  (Photogravure)        ....     248 

From  a  picture  in  the  possession  of  Lady  Dorchester. 


.VI 


RECOLLECTIONS    OF    A 
LONG    LIFE 

CHAPTER   IX 

EBOM  DIARY. 

October  16. — I  dined  with  Burdett  at  Cambridge 
House,  Eichmond,  and  was  introduced  for  the  first 
time  to  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Clarence. 

The  Duke  seems  to  be  fond  of  appearing  to 
know  something  about  everybody  and  everything. 
He  said  to  me,  "  You  were  at  Oxford " ;  and 
talking  to  W.  Penn  about  a  Miss  Wauchope  said, 
"  She  was  the  daughter  of  a  General."  "  Not  at 
all,  Sir,"  replied  Penn  ;  "  she  was  the  daughter 
of  a  cheesemonger." 

On  the  whole  he  is  quite  a  Prince :  a  great 
asker  of  questions  about  nothing.  His  Duchess 
a  pleasing,  amiable-mannered  woman. 

November  7. — Walked  to  Lincoln's  Inn.  Saw 
Bickersteth  and  Seton.  The  latter  just  where  I 
left  him  many  years  ago,  the  same  small  room, 
no  sign  of  progress  in  his  profession.  Yet  here 
is  a  clever  man,  a  college  prizeman,  an  excellent 
scholar,  a  painstaking  person,  surpassed  by  hun- 
dreds of  inferior  capacity.  Is  it  for  want  of  luck 
or  self-confidence  ? 

VOL.  iv  1 


2  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1829*  November  9. — Dined  at  H.  Stephenson's.  Met 
there  amongst  others  my  old  lackadaisical,  ex- 
cellent friend,  Robert  Adair.  He  told  of  Pozzo 
di  Borgo  that  at  one  time  he  was  proscribed  by 
three  Emperors — Napoleon,  Francis,  Alexander — 
and  had  no  way  of  escape  but  getting  a  Turkish 
firman,  which  Adair  procured  for  him,  and  he  broke 
through  the  Transylvanian  frontier.  Afterwards 
when  the  French  and  Russians  made  war  he  went 
round  by  Torneo,  and  contrived  to  see  Alexander. 
From  that  moment  his  fortune  was  made.  He 
lost  his  little  patrimony  in  Corsica  by  adhering 
to  the  English  when  they  were  masters  there, 
and  got  his  pension  from  us  on  that  account. 

November  16. — Lord  Tweeddale  told  me  he  had 
been  walking  with  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  who 
said  the  Government  were  quite  strong  in  both 
Houses.  He  asked  Tweeddale  what  they  said  of 
him  on  the  Continent.  Tweeddale  replied,  "  Sir, 
they  say  you  have  sunk  England  to  be  a  third- 
rate  power."  "Ah,  do  they?"  said  the  Duke. 
"But,"  added  Tweeddale,  "they  complain  that 
you  have  forced  Polignac  into  the  Ministry,  and 
have  saved  Constantinople,  which  is  not  con- 
sistent with  your  degradation  of  England."  The 
Duke  laughed  and  said,  "  Aye,  aye,  all  is  right." 

November  20. — The  sub-committee  of  the  Byron 
Monument  met,  and  agreed  to  accept  Thorwald- 
sen's  offer  of  £1,000  for  the  Byron  statue. 

I  have  offered  to  say  that  I  think  Mrs.  Leigh 
may  part  with  some  of  her  MSS.  to  Murray,  to 


CHAP.  IX.  ALLAN    CUNNINGHAM  3 

assist  Moore  in  his  Life  of  Byron.  This  is  better 
than  publishing  them  herself  by  means  of  her  son- 
in-law,  Trevanion,  and  as  she  wants  the  money 
very  much  perhaps  she  may  be  justified,  but  the 
necessity  is  a  grievous  one. 

November  21. — Dined  at  the  S.S.B.S.  Brougham 
brought  me  home  and  said,  "  Well,  what  do  you 
think  of  politics  ?  "We  should  oppose  these  people, 
eh  ?  "  I  said  I  did  not  see  for  what,  and  that  the 
only  fault  I  found  was  that  the  Duke  of  Welling- 
ton had  inferior  associates  where  he  might  have 
the  best  men  in  the  country. 

November  24. — Dined  at  Colonel  Hugh  Baillie's, 
where  I  met  Allan  Cunningham,  the  author  of 
"  Lives  of  British  Painters."  He  told  me  of  a 
Scotsman  who  admired  Shakespeare's  Macbeth, 
and  Julius  C&sar,  and  Lear,  but  added,  (s  How 
could  he  write  such  nonsense  as  The  Tempest 
and  Midsummer  Night's  Dream  "  !  ! 

I  complimented  him  on  the  liberal  tone  of  his 
"  Lives. "  He  said  he  never  would  give  it  up, 
although  he  knew  he  was  suspected  of  being  too 
free  in  his  opinions.  Indeed,  a  Cabinet  Minister 
told  him,  "he  would  do  very  well  if  he  would 
steer  clear  of  that  rock." 

In  this  way  the  literature  of  the  country  is 
poisoned  at  its  source.  The  moment  a  writer 
of  talent  gets  into  good  company  he  is  told  that 
he  must  beware  of  unfashionable  opinions,  in  other 
words  he  must  adopt  the  cant  of  the  age. 

December  21. — This  day  came  on  the  trials  for 


4  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1829.  libel   against   Alexander,  editor   of   the   Morning 
Journal.       The    Chancellor    gained    his    verdict 
easily,  and  deserved   it.     Alexander   pleaded   his 
own    cause   very   badly,   in   every   sense    of    the 
word. 

Lord  Tenterden  was  fair  in  summing  up,  and 
though  his  feelings  would  naturally  prompt  him 
to  spare  an  Anticatholic  and  an  Anticopleyite,  yet 
he  pronounced  the  charge  made  by  the  Journal 
against  the  Chancellor  to  come  within  the  scope 
of  indictment  to  the  full  extent. 

December  22.— This  day  the  editor  was  tried 
for  libelling  the  King  and  his  Ministers.  The 
jury  found  him  guilty  of  the  first,  but  not  of  the 
second.  The  Times  takes  a  decided  part  against 
the  Ministry  in  these  prosecutions  (not  that  of 
the  Chancellor),  and  so  I  think  will  every  un- 
prejudiced man.  They  are  unworthy  of  the  Duke 
of  Wellington,  and  will  injure  his  Government. 

1830.  January  5,  1830. — I     called    on     Hanson     and 
agreed   with  him  that  I   should   speak   to   some 
publisher    about   offering   the   unsold   copyrights 
of  Byron  at  a  trade  sale. 

Hanson  actually  contemplates  writing  a  Life 
of  Byron,  particularly  from  eight  to  eighteen, 
which  he  says  was  the  most  interesting  part  of 
his  existence. 

January  14. — Murray  has  sent  Moore's  book  to 
me  as  a  present  from  the  publisher.  I  see  two  or 
three  inaccuracies  at  once,  but  am  struck  with  the 
information  collected  as  to  Lord  Byron's  early 


CHAP.  IX.  FRENCH    POLITICS  %  5 

days.     I  doubt  the  fact  of  his  scepticism  in  those     1830. 
early  days  on  religious  subjects. 

I  called  on  Murray  and  told  him  what  I  thought 
of  the  book.  "Aye,"  replied  Murray;  "well,  let 
Lady  Julia  read  it  and  hear  her  opinion."  This  I 
took  to  be  a  clever  mode  of  letting  me  know  the 
book  is  written  for  the  women. 

January  15. — I  find  Moore  has  managed  with 
much  adroitness  to  make  such  mention  of  me  as 
I  can  hardly  quarrel  with  even,  although  the 
general  result  is  rather  unsatisfactory  than  other- 
wise. As  to  Byron's  character,  he  has,  on  the 
whole,  portrayed  it  fairly.  The  most  unjust  of 
his  conclusions  is  that  Byron's  singularities,  both 
in  conduct  and  opinion,  are  chiefly  to  be  ascribed 
to  his  college  associates.  Certainly  Byron  had 
nothing  to  learn  when  he  came  from  Harrow ;  nor 
were  his  Southwell  recreations  such  as  Moore 
pretends  them  to  have  been. 

I  saw  Hanson,  who  is  also  struck  with  Moore's 
information. 

January  23. — I  had  a  party  to  dine  with  me. 
R.  Gordon  amused  us  much  by  telling  stories 
of  France,  and  complaining  of  the  Duke's  Govern- 
ment at  home  and  the  apostasy,  as  he  calls  it, 
of  the  Opposition. 

He  seems  to  think  the  fall  of  Charles  X.  inevit- 
able, unless  he  gives  up  the  obnoxious  Ministry. 
The  Duke  of  Orleans  bids  fair  for  the  Crown. 

For  myself  I  have  no  faith  in  French  political 
foresight  nor  any  liking  for  French  politicians. 


6  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830.  I  have  seen  too  much  of  them.  Gordon  thinks 
we  are  ruined  at  home  for  want  of  one-pound 
notes,  and  does  not  believe  the  Duke  can  meet 
Parliament  without  some  change. 

January  28. — George  Tierney  died  suddenly  on 
Monday  last.  The  panegyrics  in  the  newspapers 
seem  to  me  true  as  to  his  Parliamentary  capacity, 
hut  false  as  to  his  integrity.  My  father,  who 
knew  him  well,  told  me  he  was  as  great  an 
intriguer  as  ever  lived.  I  also  think  that  no 
statesman  ever  took  such  false  views  of  coming 
events  as  G.  Tierney.  His  conjectures,  so  far 
as  I  ever  heard  of  them,  were  never  happy. 

January  30. — I  dined  at  Brougham's,  who  was 
as  usual  most  pleasing  and  instructive,  without 
pedantry  or  presumption  of  any  kind. 

He  told  us  in  proof  of  the  vanity  of  the  news- 
paper reporters  that  when  he  contrived  to  save 
one  Collier,  of  the  Times,  from  being  sent  to 
Newgate  by  the  House  of  Commons,  he  happened 
to  call  the  man  "the  person  at  the  Bar."  Eor 
this  offence,  though  he  had  rescued  the  reporter, 
he  was  cushioned  by  the  gallery  press  for  more 
than  a  fortnight. 

Another  time  he  incurred  the  displeasure  of  the 
same  powerful  body  by  using  the  expression  "  a 
poor  printer  or  reporter,"  as  if  the  two  were 
on  a  par.  Brougham  had  a  letter  from  the  same 
Collier  on  the  subject,  and  wrote  an  explanation 
to  Mackintosh,  which  Sir  James  was  to  hand 
to  the  offended  parties. 


CHAP.  ix.       BROUGHAM'S  CONTRADICTION  7 

Brougham   advised   that  no    effort    should    be     isso. 
made  against  the  Government,  and  he  said,  "  Let 
us  he  quite  sure,  before  we  turn  the  Duke  out, 
whom  we  shall  turn  in  after  him." 

Brougham  also  told  us  of  the  King's  remark, 
when  Mr.  Canning  showed  him  the  letter  in  which 
he  (Brougham)  had  offered  to  support  the  Govern- 
ment without  office.  "Does  not  your  Majesty 
think  that  very  magnanimous?"  "Very  mag- 
nanimous," said  the  King ;  adding,  soon  after- 
wards, "  Take  him  at  his  word." 

Brougham  said  the  King  was  highly  offended 
at  a  paragraph  about  his  not  paying  the  Duke 
of  York's  debts  which  appeared  in  the  Times. 
So  angry  was  he  that  he  almost  quarrelled  with 
Wellington.  A  Sunday  newspaper  imputed  the 
paragraph  to  Brougham.  Brougham  saw  T. 
Barnes  and  told  him  to  contradict  it,  for,  said 
Brougham,  "  I  never  contradict  anything  my- 
self." Query,  what  is  to  become  of  this  extra- 
ordinary man  ? 

EROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

Parliament  met  on  February  4  The  Eoyal 
Speech  confined  the  distress  to  some  parts  of  the 
country,  but  Knatchbull  moved  an  amendment 
which  spread  the  distress  over  the  whole  country. 
Huskisson,  who  with  his  party  were  in  battle- 
array  in  their  old  places  below  the  gangway,  con- 
cluded his  speech  by  declaring  he  should  vote 
for  the  amendment.  Althorp  also  declared  he 


8  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830.  should  vote  for  the  amendment,  and  Brougham 
took  the  same  line,  adding,  however,  that  "  he 
would  not  do  so  if  he  thought  it  would  have  a 
tendency  to  disturb  the  Administration."  When 
he  sat  down,  I  said  to  him,  "  Why,  Brougham, 
it  must  have  a  tendency  to  disturb  the  Administra- 
tion." "  Well,"  said  he,  "  I  can't  help  it." 

Ministers  had  a  majority  of  only  55;  28  of 
our  side  voted  with  Government,  so  that,  if  we 
had  gone  the  other  way,  the  amendment  would 
have  been  carried.  The  House  was  very  thin 
for  a  first  day,  and  the  tone  of  Ministers  very 
low.  There  were  symptoms  of  a  falling  cause 
even  amongst  the  placemen. 

O'Connell  made  his  maiden  speech,  which 
attempted  no  flights. 

February  11. — It  was  remarked  that  O'Connell 
had  spoken  almost  every  night  since  taking  his 
seat,  and  had  spoken  sensibly.  O 'Council's  Par- 
liamentary value  was,  at  that  time,  underrated. 
Solicitor-General  Doherty,  speaking  to  me  of  him, 
said,  "  Mark  my  words  :  he  will  turn  out  nothing ; 
he  will  sink  down  gradually  to  his  proper 
dimensions." 

February  12. — Sir  James  Graham  made  the 
speech  which  was  the  foundation  of  his  Parlia- 
mentary fame.  He  concluded  with  a  motion 
for  reducing  salaries  to  the  standard  of  1797  ; 
but  Dawson  proposed  resolutions  similar  in  effect, 
and  not  clogged  with  the  Currency  question,  so 
that  there  was  no  division,  and  Graham  gave 


CHAP.  IX.  BYRON   COPYRIGHTS   SOLD  9 

way.  Peel  concluded  the  debate  by  stating  that  isao. 
Government  would  pursue  its  course  fearlessly, 
although  fully  aware  of  the  opposition  to  be 
encountered  in  Parliament;  but,  at  the  same 
time,  secure  of  the  final  support  of  the  great 
majority  of  the  people  out  of  doors. 

February  14. — I  dined  with  the  Speaker,  and 
Daniel  O'Connell  sat  opposite  to  Mr.  Speaker. 
Oh  rare  !  thought  I.  Who  would  have  thought 
of  this  two  years  ago? 

February  18. — There  came  on  the  debate  on  the 
Marquis  of  Blandford's  Reform  Bill.  As  no 
Ministerialist  spoke,  the  debate  would  soon  have 
dropped  if  I  had  not  unwisely  got  up  and  made 
something  of  a  flourish,  which  brought  up  Horace 
Twiss,  who  roused  Sir  Erancis  Burdett. 

Brougham  proposed  to  substitute  a  general 
resolution  for  Blandford's  Bill,  and  our  intention 
was  to  vote  for  it;  but,  by  some  unaccountable 
confusion,  we  voted  for  Blandford's  Bill,  and  had 
but  a  small  minority — only  57. 

FROM  DIARY. 

February  20. — The  Byron  copyrights,  all  but 
"  Don  Juan,"  sold  by  auction  yesterday  for  3,700 
guineas.  There  was  no  bidding  for  "  Don  Juan  " 
beyond  310  guineas.  We  might  have  got  4,000 
guineas  if  the  auctioneer  had  trusted  Colburn, 
who  gave  him  carte  blanche  to  exceed  Murray 
until  he  was  stopped.  However,  we  did  pretty 
well. 

VOL.  iv  2 


10  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830.    FROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

On  the  morning  of  February  22  I  was  at  the 
House  of  Commons  in  Committee  on  my  Select 
Vestries  Bill.  The  next  day  Lord  J.  Russell 
made  his  proposal  for  giving  members  to  Birming- 
ham, Manchester,  and  Leeds.  We  divided  140  to 
188.  Huskisson  and  his  friends,  besides  one  or 
two  Anticatholics,  voted  with  us. 

The  Morning  Journal  of  February  24th  con- 
tained an  article  charging  me  with  voting  with 
Ministers  against  Lord  John  Russell's  Reform 
proposal.  This  was  too  bad.  I  went  to  the  office 
of  the  paper,  and  said  I  could  not  permit  my 
votes  to  be  falsified ;  the  article  was  therefore 
contradicted. 

FROM  DIARY. 

February  27. — At  a  party  of  thirty  to-day  at 
Windsor,  the  King  holloed  to  the  Duke  of  Devon- 
shire that  "  he  did  not  understand  these  reforms 
and  retrenchments ;  he  would  give  up  the  crown, 
and  ask  to  be  Prince  of  Wales  again.  But," 
added  he,  "  they  won't  let  me.  No,  nor  will  they 
have  any  more  Dukes." 

Now,  I  can't  understand  how  my  friend  Burdett 
and  others  strive  so  to  turn  out  an  Administration 
which  stands  so  ill  at  Court.  As  for  myself,  I  will 
have  no  hand  in  such  an  exploit,  difficult  as  it 
is  sometimes  to  support  the  acts  of  Government, 
and  compelled  as  I  am  to  vote  for  all  reforms 
and  retrenchments. 


CHAP.  IX.     UNOPENED   AMERICAN   DESPATCHES  11 

February  28.- — Lord  Tweeddale,  who  had  been  isso. 
talking  to  Sir  G.  Murray  and  the  Duke  of 
Wellington  on  the  state  of  the  Administration, 
told  me  that  both  had  said  that  the  wishes  of 
most  individuals  in  either  House  were  of  the 
most  liberal  tendency,  but  they  felt  they  had 
obstacles  at  Windsor  and  from  their  partisans.  It 
appears  that  the  dumb  mouths  on  our  Treasury 
Bench  are  to  be  opened  and  Peel  to  be  supported. 

EROM  BOOK,  "  BECOLLECTIONS." 

March  7- — We  dined  at  Lord  Holland's  in 
Savile  Bow.  Mr.  Allen  was  in  great  force,  and 
told  me  several  stories  which  I  had  reason  to 
believe  were  true.  When  the  Whigs  came  into 
office  in  1806,  several  American  despatches  were 
found  in  Lord  Mulgrave's  office  unopened.  I 
had  heard  a  similar  story  of  a  closet  full  of 
American  despatches  in  the  Duke  of  Newcastle's 
time,  and  I  recollected  a  remark  made  on  that 

anecdote  by .  "  Yes,  that  is  very  true,  and 

those  who  succeeded  Newcastle  took  to  reading 
despatches  ;  and  what  was  the  consequence  ?  The 
American  war." 

Mr.  Allen  also  mentioned  that  Mr.  Windham, 
having  taken  great  pains  in  writing  a  despatch 
to  the  officer  commanding  our  troops  in  South 
America,  being  summoned  down  to  the  Norfolk 
election  somewhat  suddenly,  put  the  despatch  in  his 
pocket,  and  found  it  there  six  weeks  afterwards. 

He  also  said  that  Wilmot  Horton  gave  orders 


12  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830.  to  the  Commander  of  our  naval  forces  on  the 
African  coast  to  make  reprisals  on  one  of  the 
Barbary  powers,  as  a  punishment  for  some  insult 
of  which  he  found  an  account  in  a  despatch  at 
his  office.  A  short  time  afterwards  it  was  dis- 
covered that  the  said  Secretary  had  not  noticed 
the  date  of  the  said  despatch,  nor  of  the  insult ; 
and  that  the  one  was  three  years  back,  and  that 
the  other  had  been  explained  and  forgiven. 

March  12. — I  called  at  Messrs.  Ransom's  bank, 
and  there  heard  that  my  friend  of  many  years, 
Douglas  Kinnaird,  had  died  that  morning.  He 
was  resigned  and  composed,  and  discussed  matters 
of  business  with  his  partner,  Mr.  Squire,  with 
perfect  self-possession.  Even  in  those  days  I 
could  not  help  thinking  there  was  a  fatality 
attending  the  friendships  of  my  early  days. 
Edward  Vernon,  Charles  Matthews,  Byron,  Kin- 
naird, all  gone. 

In  the  evening  I  attended  Parliament,  and 
voted  with  Sir  James  Graham  against  the  appoint- 
ment of  Treasurer  of  the  Navy.  Peel  was 
excited  more  than  usual,  appealed  to  the  public, 
and  said  that,  if  Ministers  gained  no  credit  by 
attempting  to  govern  by  opinion,  they  would 
govern  by  influence,  as  others  had  done.  This 
was  imprudent,  and  a  tremendous  cheer  rose 
from  our  benches. 

PROM  DIARY. 

March  19. — Attended  the  funeral  of  my  poor 


CHAP.  IX.      THE    CAUSES   OF    NATIONAL   DISTRESS          13 

friend  Douglas  Kinnaird,    and   saw  him   laid   in     isso. 
a   new  vault   in    St.  Martin's    Church.     He  was 
forty-two  years  old. 

Some  of  the  mourners  seemed  much  affected, 
but  a  grey-headed  servant  of  the  bank,  who  was 
looking  on  at  a  distance,  cried  bitterly,  an 
undeniable  proof  of  my  friend's  kindness.  It 
is  a  sad  ceremony  indeed,  if  it  were  nothing  but 
a  ceremony. 

PROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS.  " 

This  Session  we  had  a  debate  of  four  days,  on 
inquiry  into  the  causes  of  national  distress. 

March  26. — We  had  a  lively  debate  on  Dundas 
and  Bathurst's  superannuation  pensions.  It 
appeared  to  me  to  be  a  rank  job,  and  I  made 
a  speech  to  that  effect.  Our  numbers  were  139 
to  121,  and  several  members  said  to  me,  "We 
owe  that  to  your  speech." 

On  March  27,  dining  with  my  sister  Mrs. 
Alexander,  I  sat  next  to  a  gaunt,  coarse-looking, 
middle-aged  man,  who  hardly  spoke  a  word  all 
dinner-time,  although  sitting  next  to  Mrs.  Lock- 
hart,  Sir  Walter  Scott's  most  pleasing  daughter. 
I  felt  vexed  when  I  heard  I  had  been  sitting 
next  to  Wilkie,  the  great  artist,  without  having 
an  opportunity  of  hearing  a  word  from  him. 

Admiral  Sir  William  Hotham  was  of  the  party. 
He  told  us  some  stories  about  the  mutiny  at 
the  Nore  and  Spithead.  He  said  the  mutineers 
scrupulously  preserved  all  the  property  of  the 


14  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830  officers,  and  replaced  some  crockeryware  which 
was  accidentally  broken.  He  told  us  also  that 
Admiral  Duncan,  when  left  to  watch  De  Winter, 
had  only  three  ships  with  him,  but  managed, 
by  making  signals,  to  make  the  Dutch  believe 
that  the  whole  fleet  was  at  hand.  When  De 
Winter  was  afterwards  told  this,  he  would  not 
believe  it;  but  I  did,  for  Admiral  Hotham  was 
a  very  truth-speaking  man. 

EROM  DIARY. 

March  30. — I  went  to  Devonshire  House  with 
my  wife.  I  hate  this  amusement,  as  it  is  called, 
worse  than  ever.  I  have  no  turn  nor  capacity. 
Miss  Fanny  Kemble  was  the  lion  of  the  evening. 
I  never  saw  any  celebrated  woman  so  very  plain. 

March  31. — At  Vestry  Committee,  where  we 
considered  our  Report,  and  agreed  to  some 
resolutions  which  I  had  drawn  up,  recommending 
a  legislative  measure  founded  on  an  elective 
principle.  Mr.  Ross,  seconded  by  Sir  Thomas 
Eremantle,  moved  counter  resolutions.  After 
much  battling  we  overpowered  the  M.P.  for  Oxford, 
eighteen  to  two,  and  agreed  almost  unanimously 
to  my  resolutions. 

Thus  closes  the  first  part  of  my  Vestry  labours, 
prosperously  as  far  as  I  have  gone,  but  the 
Bill  remains  behind,  and  I  can  hardly  promise 
myself  success  in  both  Houses  of  Parliament. 

April  1. — I  sat  up  till  near  three  in  the 
morning  to  hear  Peel  propose  his  amendment  of 


CHAP.  IX.  UGK)   FOSCOLO  15 

the  forgery  laws.  There  were  not  above  eighteen 
members  in  the  House,  but  Peel  spoke  as  if 
there  were  five  hundred.  At  last  we  dwindled 
to  some  four  or  five,  and  I  was  the  only  man 
who  did  not  speak  and  compliment  the  Home 
Secretary. 

At  half -past  two  I  brought  up  the  Report  of 
the  Vestry  Committee,  when  there  was  only  one 
other  member  in  the  House.  The  members  are 
absolutely  worn  out  with  the  unremitting  long 
nights.  The  Speaker  confessed  to  me  that  he  was, 
and  said  that  nothing  but  Easter  would  save  him. 

PROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

Early  in  the  month  of  April  my  friend  Sinclair 
Cullen  sent  me  some  papers  from  the  executors 
of  Ugo  Poscolo,  in  order  that  I  might  examine 
them,  and  see  whether  there  were  in  them 
materials  for  a  Memoir.  I  looked  over  them, 
but  did  not  find  much  to  add  to  the  short  notice 
contained  in  my  work  on  Italy. 

Poscolo  was  born  in  1778,  on  January  26. 
His  father  was  a  doctor.  In  only  one  of  the 
documents  do  I  find  him  called  Count.  In 
general  he  is  described  as  "Captain,"  but  here, 
in  England,  his  arms  were  surmounted  by  a 
coronet. 

He  came  to  England  in  1816.  It  appeared  by 
these  papers  that  he  had  attained  to  considerable 
skill  in  writing  English.  I  observed  in  these 
documents  many  evidences  of  the  squabbles  in 


16  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830.  which  this  most  unhappy  man  was  perpetually 
engaged.  That  he  was  a  man  of  very  great 
genius  there  can  be  no  doubt,  and  that  he  was  a 
most  unhappy  man  cannot  be  denied. 

April  5. — Robert  Grant  moved  for  leave  to 
bring  in  a  Bill  to  remove  the  disabilities  affecting 
the  Jews.  Peel  was  absent  on  account  of  his 
father's  illness.  To  our  infinite  surprise,  we 
divided  115  to  97.  I  walked  across  the  House, 
and  said  to  Calcraft,  then  on  the  Treasury  Bench, 
"  By  Jove !  you  will  be  turned  out  if  you  go 
on  in  this  way."  "Aye,"  replied  he;  "but 
you  know  you  like  a  good  weak  Government." 
I  might  have  said,  "Yes,  but  not  a  bad  weak 
Government."  I  was,  however,  too  angry  to  play 
on  words. 

I  passed  the  Easter  holidays  of  this  year 
with  my  brother  Henry,  at  a  pretty  country 
residence  hired  by  him  near  Guildford,  called 
Send  Grove. 

The  clergyman  at  Send  was  of  a  sort  more 
frequently  met  with  in  those  days  than  now.  I 
heard  the  good  man  preach  :  he  chose  the  story 
of  Balaam  for  his  sermon,  and  called  the  prophet 
"  a  singular  character  " ;  but  surely  the  ass  was 
a  more  singular  character,  but  of  him  he  said 
not  one  word.  It  was  not  a  fit  subject  for  a 
sermon,  nor  for  a  joke. 

At  this  time,  April  and  May,  I  had  much  of 
my  time  taken  up  by  looking  after  Lord  Byron's 
affairs,  and  taking  advice  as  to  the  expediency  of 


CHAP.  IX.  THE   BYRON   SEPARATION  17 

giving  some  public  refutation  to  a  charge  made,  isso. 
as  was  stated,  by  Lady  Byron,  in  regard  to  the 
separation  between  Byron  and  his  wife.  The 
attack  on  Lord  Byron,  on  the  authority  of  Lady 
Byron,  was  countenanced  by  Tom  Campbell,  who 
was  a  firstrate  poet  no  doubt,  but  a  very  bad 
pleader,  even  in  a  good  cause,  and  made  therefore 
a  most  pitiable  figure  when  he  had  no  case  at  all. 
I  consulted  friends,  and  amongst  them  Lord 
Holland,  who  strongly  recommended  silence,  and 
did  not  scruple  to  say  that  the  lady  would  be 
more  annoyed  if  she  were  left  unnoticed  than  if, 
whether  wrong  or  right,  she  had  to  figure  in  a 
controversy.  I  was  far  from  wishing  to  annoy 
her  at  all ;  my  sole  wish  was  to  do  my  duty  by 
my  friend;  and  I  hope  I  have  done  that  suffi- 
ciently by  leaving  behind  me,  to  be  used  if 
necessary,  a  full  and  scrupulously  accurate  account 
of  the  transaction  in  question.1  I  shall  content 
myself  here  with  asserting  that  it  was  not  fear, 
on  the  part  of  Lord  Byron,  that  persuaded  him 
to  separate  from  his  wife.  On  the  contrary,  he 
was  quite  ready  to  "go  into  court,"  as  they 
call  it. 

FROM  DIARY. 

April  23. — Read  a  good  deal  of  Bourienne's 
Memoirs.  It  seems  to  me  the  best  and  fairest 
book  yet  written  about  Napoleon. 

April   26. — I   returned   to    London.      Nothing 

1  This  account  is  published  in  the  last  chapter  of  Volume  II. 
VOL.    IV  3 


18  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

i830t  done  in  the  House;  the  rumour  strong  that  the 
King  is  dying.  His  illness,  however,  creates  very 
little  interest,  considering  what  his  death  must 
produce.  They  say  the  Duke  and  Peel  will  remain 
in  office,  but  that  King  William  will  make  changes 
in  some  departments. 

April  27. — At  House  of  Commons.  The  Terceira1 
business  was  brought  on  by  Charles  Grant  in  a 
bitter  and  eloquent  speech.  Whilst  I  went  away 
to  dinner  the  House  was  near  coming  to  a  division, 
but  Twiss  was  put  up  and  made  a  speech,  or 
rather  read  a  speech  from  several  folios  of  paper ; 
so  that  some  of  the  wags  opposite  drew  lots  who 
should  call  him  to  order,  and  John  Russell  won 
the  lot.  Accordingly  E/ussell  complained  of  Twiss 
reading  his  speech,  and  brought  up  Mr.  Under- 
secretary, who  said  he  had  not  read,  but  only 
looked  at  voluminous  notes  ! !  Here's  a  fellow  ! 

We  had  but  a  poor  division,  78  only,  though 
all  the  Huskissonians  voted  for  us,  but  many 
Whigs  kept  away.  They  care  little  for  Portugal 
and  less  for  Huskisson's  party. 

May  3. — Pound  that  H.  Gordon  had  made  a 
smart  attack  on  the  miscellaneous  estimates  in 
the  House  of  Commons.  I  took  the  opportunity 
of  speaking,  and  believe  I  got  votes  by  what  I 

1  In  December  1828  Count  Saldanha  sailed  from  England  for 
Terceira  with  a  party  of  Portuguese  refugees  who  were  adherents 
of  the  Queen's  cause.  The  ship  was,  however,  stopped  off  Terceira 
by  Captain  Walpole,  under  the  orders  of  the  British  Government. 
The  Duke  of  Wellington  defended  this  action  as  a  maintenance  of 
neutrality  between  the  rival  Portuguese  parties. 


CHAP.  IX.          A   LOCK   OF    NAPOLEON^    HAIR  19 

said,  which,  as  our  good  people  think  Parliament     i83<x 
is  dying,  is  no  great  exploit. 

May  4. — The  Speaker  said  to  me  to-day  at 
House  of  Commons,  "  I  think,  Mr.  Hohhouse,  you 
must  be  at  the  height  of  your  glory  now ;  if  you 
admire  a  good  weak  Government,  you  had  your 
heart's  content  last  night." 

Certainly  never  did  an  Administration  cut  a 
poorer  figure.  If  not  strong  enough  to  carry  their 
johs,  they  should  not  attempt  so  to  do.  We  shall 
have  no  more  estimates  till  Peel  comes  back,  and 
even  his  presence  will  not  calm  the  death-bed 
terrors  of  some  county  members. 

May  5. — Dined  at  Hudson  Gurney's.  Bart. 
Prere1  and  Terrick  Hamilton,  author  of  "  Antar," 
there.  The  latter  is  a  most  disagreeable  fellow 
indeed. 

Mrs.  Gurney  was  saying  she  should  like  to 
have  a  lock  of  Napoleon's  hair.  Terrick  Hamil- 
ton said,  "I  would  not  care  for  a  lock  of  his 
hair  more  than  for  that  of  a  nager " ;  and  then 
he  fell  to  abusing  him,  and  saying  he  never  had 
any  curiosity  about  seeing  such  a  man,  and  that 
Buonaparte  was  too  well  treated  at  St.  Helena. 
Suppose,  said  somebody,  that  one  of  the  sove- 
reigns at  war  with  Buonaparte  had  been  taken 
by  the  Erench  and  treated  so,  what  would  you 
have  said?  "Oh,"  said  T.  H.,  "that  is  another 
thing.  Buonaparte  was  not  born  a  King  "  !  1 !  I 

1  Bartholomew  Frere,  brother  of  John  Hookham  Frere ;  Acting 
Minister  in  Spain  1809-10;  served  afterwards  at  Constantinople. 


20  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830.  could  not  help  saying  that  I  had  heard  a  good 
many  hold  and  strange  things  said  in  my  life- 
time, hut  nothing  quite  so  extravagant  as  that. 
Yet  T.  Hamilton  is  reckoned  a  very  clever  fellow, 
and  may  he  so  for  all  I  know. 

Sir  J.  Sebright  was  of  the  party,  and  told  us 
of  his  skill  in  instructing  puppies.  He  can  make 
them  extract  cube  roots.  He  does  it  by  the  eye 
entirely.  One  of  Sir  John  Sebright Js  daughters 
has  invented  an  expeditious  mode  of  extracting 
cubes,  which  he  showed  me.  What  between  his 
dogs  and  his  daughters,  his  family  must  be  an 
ingenious  circle ! 

Sebright  told  us  some  examples  of  Sir  Astley 
Cooper's  egregious  vanity.  Sir  A.  Cooper  was,  it 
seems,  almost  a  Jacobin  once,  but  is  now  a  wor- 
shipper of  King  George  IV.  Not  long  ago  he 
made  a  speech,  and  dwelt  upon  His  Majesty's 
peculiar  regard  for  truth !  I 

May  7. — King's  birthday  kept,  and  a  favourable 
bulletin.  It  is  said  the  King  insisted  it  should 
be  so  on  his  birthday,  but  Paddy  Holmes  said 
to  me,  "  Don't  believe  a  word  of  what  you  hear ; 
he  is  dying." 

Looked  at  some  letters  of  Byron's  to  Kinnaird, 
which  young  Lord  Kinnaird  has  just  given  to 
me.  Amongst  them  is  the  last  he  ever  wrote, 
dated  Missolonghi,  April  10,  1824,  the  very  day 
he  was  taken  ill.  He  says  in  the  end,  "I  have 
been  very  unwell,  but  am  thought  to  be  stronger." 

May  14. — I  hear  that  Sir  Robert  Peel  has  left 


CHAP. ix.       "HIS  MAJESTY'S  OPPOSITION"  21 

his  younger  sons  nearly  £200,000  apiece,  and  that     isso. 
his  eldest  has  about  £40,000  a  year. 

Went  to  House  of  Commons,  and  voted  with 
Sir  J.  Graham  for  a  return  of  salaries  of  Privy 
Councillors.  Goulburn  offered  a  return  of  all 
salaries;  but  that  was  not  invidious  enough,  and 
was  rejected.  Grosvenor  (General)  said  that  he 
was  surprised  at  Graham's  factiousness,  as  at 
the  beginning  of  the  Session  he  had  declared  that 
he  differed  with  the  minority  only  on  the  trifling 
question  of  the  currency. 

This  was  cheered  very  much;  and  certainly 
there  seems  some  reason  to  suspect  that  Graham 
has  more  than  a  public  motive  for  his  present 
virulence  against  Government.  He  is  always, 
besides,  taunting  the  Opposition  with  their  feeble 
hostility,  and  said  that  in  the  good  old  days 
the  benches  near  him  were  not  filled  with  Sis 
Majesty's  Opposition.  This  saying  of  mine,  and 
the  other  about  the  "  good  weak  Government," 
are  often  in  his  mouth.  I  shall,  one  day  or  the 
other,  take  an  opportunity  of  saying  what  I  think 
of  the  old  Opposition,  about  whom  there  never 
was  a  more  complete  delusion. 

Graham  speaks  very  well,  and  will  be  in  high 
office  some  day  or  the  other.  He  is,  however,  too 
personal  in  his  invective.  We  had  147  to  232, 
a  poor  minority  for  such  a  question  on  the  eve 
of  dissolution. 

May  16. — Saw  Lord  Lauderdale,  and  had  much 
talk  with  that  very  clever  old  man.  It  seems 


22  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830,  that  Brougham  got  defeated  at  the  Anti-slavery 
meeting  on  Saturday.  He  does  not  bid  high 
enough  for  the  people  now,  and  is  most  unjustly 
suspected  of  want  of  sincerity. 

May  17. — The  second  reading  of  the  Jews 
Belief  Bill  came  on  in  the  House  of  Commons, 
when  Sir  E.  Peel  made  his  first  appearance  since 
his  father's  death,  and  spoke  against  the  Bill. 
Brougham's  was  the  speech  of  the  night.  He 
was  most  successful,  but  was  not  well  heard— 
too  deep  and  too  learned  for  the  multitude.  His 
reference  to  Gibbon  and  Bolingbroke  as  professed 
infidels,  though  admirably  introduced,  failed  of 
effect. 

May  20. — I  read  my  Vestry  Bill  a  second  time, 
and  committed  it. 

May  22. — Went  to  Holly  Lodge  and  saw  the 
many  ways  by  which  the  good-natured  hostess 
tries  to  make  all  the  world  forget  that  such  a 
person  as  Miss  Mellon  ever  lived.  Very  few  of 
the  great  people  who  used  to  court  Mrs.  Coutts 
were,  however,  there.  They  do  not  choose  to 
accept  favours  which  they  must  return  at  the 
hazard  of  having  precedence  taken  of  them  in 
London  by  the  ci-devant  soubrette.  There  was 
no  very  prominent  absurdity  in  the  spectacle, 
except  that  the  Duchess1  was  drawn  in  a  garden 
phaeton  up  and  down  a  hill,  preceded  by  a  band 

1  The  9th  Duke  of  St.  Albans  married,  on  June  16,  1827,  the 
daughter  of  Matthew  Mellon,  who  was  widow  of  Thomas  Coutts. 
She  died  in  1837. 


CHAP.  IX.  FANNY   KEMBLE    AS   JULIET  23 

of  Prague  minstrels  and  followed  by  her  guests     isso 
in  procession.     I  have  seen  the  sight  once,  and 
shall  never  see  it  again. 

May  25. — Went  to  the  orchestra  at  Covent 
Garden,  and  saw  Panny  Kemhle,  for  the  first 
time,  in  the  character  of  Juliet.  I  was  delighted, 
particularly  with  her  tenderness.  The  tones  of 
her  voice  are  most  impressive  and  agreeable,  her 
manner  soft  and  engaging,  her  action  natural  and 
easy.  If  she  was  unequal  in  any  part  of  the 
play,  it  was  in  the  horror  expressed  for  fear  she 
should  awake  in  the  vault.  There,  I  think,  she 
was  too  loud  and  passionate.  On  the  whole  I 
was  much  affected,  and  know  not  when  the 
enchanting  poetry  of  the  play  has  so  charmed 
me. 

May  26. — Walking  to-day  I  met  Tom  Campbell, 
the  poet,  and  took  a  turn  with  him.  He  said 
very  quietly  to  me  that  he  thought  the  Christian 
religion  was  getting  into  general  disrepute,  much 
more  so  than  the  monarchy. 

The  man  has  a  half-crazy  look  and  air,  and 
whilst  we  were  talking  of  Kemble  asked  me  if 
I  could  give  him  any  anecdotes  for  the  Life  which 
he  was  writing  of  him.  He  soon  recollected  we 
were  not  speaking  of  Lawrence.  He  confessed 
that  the  biography  of  that  great  painter  was  a 
difficult  task.  There  was  nothing  to  tell. 

May  28. — At  House  of  Commons.  O'Connell 
proposed  Radical  Reform,  Universal  Suffrage, 
Ballot,  and  Triennial  Parliaments.  Lord  John 


24  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830.     Russell    followed    with    his     moderate     Reform, 

• 

which  stood  on  the  books  for  a  separate  motion. 
Three  or  four  young  members  opposed  all  re- 
form, in  speeches  which  the  House  would  not 
listen  to. 

Brougham  turned  round  to  me  and  said,  "  The 
election  is  coming  on,  Burdett  is  not  here ;  by 
heavens  you  must  speak,  and  if  you  do  not  I  will 
say  something  to  call  you  up." 

I  therefore  rose  at  past  12,  and  made  what 
was  thought  a  very  good  speech,  of  which 
Brougham  made  honourable  mention  in  his,  saying 
it  was  one  of  the  ablest  he  had  ever  heard  in 
Parliament.  I  defended  Universal  Suffrage, 
Ballot,  and  Short  Parliaments  ;  but  declared 
myself  for  any  reform,  preferring  that  which 
united  the  greatest  number  of  partisans. 

We  divided  13  for  Radical  Reform.  After- 
wards we  divided  for  Russell's  Extended  Basis 
of  Representation,  117  to  213. 

May  30. — I  saw  O'Connell  to-day  at  Brooks's. 
He  talked  to  me  about  the  state  of  Ireland  pre- 
viously to  passing  the  Relief  Bill,  and  said  that 
Tipperary  alone  would  have  turned  out  150,000 
fighting  men.  They  had  most  of  them  pikes,  and 
many  firearms. 

A  friend  of  his,  whilst  shooting  on  the  moors, 
was  asked  whether  the  Counsellor  (meaning 
O'Connell)  intended  to  call  them  out  that  year. 
He  issued  a  sort  of  proclamation  to  keep  them 
quiet;  but  a  man  high  in  office  in  Dublin  told 


CHAP.  ix.  O'CONNELL'S  OPINION  OF  WELLINGTON      25 

him  not  to  disarm  the  Catholics  until  six  weeks     isso. 
after   the   meeting  of  Parliament.     "  This,"   said 
O'Connell,  "  was  honest  and  open  enough  for  a 
Government   man,    and   will    show  you  how  the 
Relief  Bill  was  passed." 

O'Connell  complained  to  me  of  the  Duke's 
ohstinacy  in  persisting  in  the  taxing  of  Ireland 
at  this  moment.  He  said  that  the  Duke  of 
Wellington  was  not  a  great  man ;  he  was  a  great 
soldier,  hut  every  age  produced  great  soldiers  and 
great  lawyers,  which  showed  that  great  genius 
was  not  requisite  for  such  productions.  A  great 
genius  was  more  rare,  and  appeared  hut  once  in 
a  century,  if  so  often.  There  is  something  in  the 
observation ! 

May  31. — Dined  with  the  Belgraves.  Young 
Stuart  Wortley  at  dinner  told  me  that  he  expected 
the  Ministry  would  not  last  long.  He  confessed 
it  was  no  very  pleasant  task  acting  under  Peel. 
His  manners  were  cold,  and  very  little  assistance 
was  required  hy  him  from  anybody. 

June  4.- -I  dined  at  John  Smith's,  and  met 
there  Sam  Rogers.  He  told  me  that  he  saw 
Lord  Aberdeen  on  Monday  last,  and  that  he 
seemed  much  vexed  at  Prince  Leopold's  refusal 
of  the  crown  of  Greece.  Rogers  said  he  wondered 
any  one  who  had  bread  to  eat  should  wish  to  be 
in  office.  Lord  Aberdeen  said,  "  True,  but  I 
should  not  like  to  leave  office  either,  although 
I  should  not  be  so  sorry  as  my  predecessor 


was." 


VOL.    IV 


26  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830.  June  5. — I  am  deplorably  idle,  but  help  now 
and  then  others  who  are  active.  Ten  days  ago 
I  joined  a  party  at  the  Admiralty  and  founded 
a  Geographical  Society.  This  is  the  Society 
which,  under  the  guidance  chiefly  of  Sir  Roderick 
Murchison,  has  grown  to  such  formidable  dimen- 
sions. If  I  were  to  give  up  the  small  shop 
business  of  politics,  and  confine  myself  to  the 
consideration  of  important  questions,  perhaps  I 
could  do  something,  but  I  do  not  know  this. 

FROM  BOOK,  "RECOLLECTIONS." 

I  find  recorded  that  on  Sunday,  June  6,  I  went 
to  St.  John's  Church,  and  guessed,  by  the  unusual 
muster  of  fashionable  folk,  that  something  good 
was  expected.  I  was  not  wrong,  for  Sydney  Smith 
preached  a  funeral  sermon ;  and,  to  my  mind, 
a  very  good  sermon  it  was.  His  manner  was 
rather  energetic  than  impassioned  or  pleasing; 
his  voice  more  loud  than  distinct.  I  was  much 
gratified,  and  thought  the  sermon  too  short.  It 
lasted  only  thirty-five  minutes. 

The  text  was  the  famous  comparison  of  the  seed 
that  dies  before  it  produces  grain  with  the  resurrec- 
tion of  man,  for  which  Voltaire  in  a  most  unseemly 
manner  insults  the  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles.  My 
friend's  principal  argument  was  that,  as  nothing 
seems  to  have  been  created  in  vain,  so  God  would 
not  have  implanted  the  desire  and  expectation  of 
futurity  in  man  if  he  were  never  to  attain  to 
it.  He  said  that  the  belief  in  a  second  life  seemed 


CHAP.  IX.  BELIEF   IN   A   SECOND   LIFE  27 

to  have  been  implanted  in  every  human  heart,  isso, 
and  might  be  called  universal.  I  thought  this 
had  been  denied,  and  that  whole  nations  had  been 
discovered  without  any  such  faith  or  hope.  He 
also  drew  the  desired  conclusion  from  the  progress 
and  improvement  of  man  alone  of  all  created 
beings, — and  here  he  was  eloquent;  and  from 
the  love  of  posthumous  fame, — and  here  he  was 
pathetic ;  and  from  the  fear  of  death, — a  topic 
which  he  also  handled  with  great  effect.  It 
was  a  great  relief,  after  being  so  long  wearied 
with  tiresome  House  of  Commons  talk,  to  listen 
to  a  good  lecture  on  a  subject  interesting 
to  all. 

June  7. — I  spoke  and  voted  with  Sir  James 
Graham  against  some  extravagant  items  in  the 
charges  for  South  American  missions ;  and  I 
paired  in  favour  of  Sir  James  Mackintosh's 
proposal  to  abolish  the  punishment  of  death  in 
all  cases  of  forgery,  except  the  forgery  of  wills. 

EROM  DIARY. 

June  10. — I  went  to  a  party  at  Lady  Graham's 
given  to  celebrate  the  marriage  of  my  young 
friend  Lord  Seymour  with  the  remaining  daughter 
of  Tom  Sheridan.  Her  face  has  been  her  fortune. 
Her  sister,  Mrs.  Norton,  sang  and  acted  a  song 
of  her  own. 

June  14. — At  a  Committee  on  my  Vestry  Bill. 
A  very  ungracious  task,  and  by  no  means  a 
labour  of  love  ! 


28  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830  June  19. — Talking  with  Attwood  of  Birming- 
ham, who  seemed  to  think  that  popular  associations 
might  procure  Reform,  if  contending  for  moderate 
measures  upon  the  "  conservative  principle."  He 
said  he  was  convinced  that  the  whole  people  of 
England  were  essentially  aristocratic  and  imhued 
with  respect  for  their  superiors,  and  hatred  of 
those  neighbours  raised  hy  accident  ahove  them- 
selves. I  believe  this  is  true. 

EROM  BOOK,  "RECOLLECTIONS." 

June  15. — Mr.  Samuel  Whitbread  called  on 
me  and  told  me  he  intended  to  retire  from 
Middlesex  at  the  next  election,  and  asked  me 
to  write  his  retiring  address  to  the  electors 
for  him. 

I  called  on  Sir  Erancis  Burdett  and  Mr.  Place, 
and  we  agreed  that  the  man  most  suitable  for 
the  electors  and  most  fit  for  the  situation  was 
Mr.  Hume.  Accordingly  I  communicated  with 
Mr.  Hume,  who  naturally  enough  talked  of 
the  probable  expense  of  a  contest,  adding  he  was 
sure  of  his  seat  for  the  Scottish  borough  which 
he  then  represented.  At  last,  however,  he  con- 
sented to  be  put  in  nomination.  Lord  Althorp 
fell  into  our  project  at  once,  but  said  some  of 
the  Whigs  might  be  hostile,  and  it  would  be 
advisable  to  consult  at  once  with  Lord  Grey. 
This  he  did.  At  first  his  Lordship  was  restive, 
but  ended  by  saying  that,  if  Hume  was  taken 
up  by  the  Reformers,  it  would  be  expedient  for 


CHAP.  IX.       JOSEPH    HUME   AND   MIDDLESEX  29 

the  Whigs  not  to  oppose ;  but,  on  the  contrary,     1830, 
co-operate  and  support  Hume. 

Lord  John  Russell  said  that  the  Duke  of 
Bedford  objected  to  Hume,  but  wished  me  to 
stand  for  Middlesex,  in  which  case  he,  and  the 
Duke  of  Devonshire  and  all  the  great  proprietors 
of  the  party,  would  support  me,  and  keep  me 
in  for  life.  I  said  it  was  impossible  to  think  of 
such  a  thing.  Hume  was  still  very  undecided, 
even  after  he  had  agreed  to  come  forward,  and 
on  June  22  I  told  him  he  must  positively  give 
his  final  answer  the  next  day. 

I  dined  at  Sir  Francis  Burdett's,  and  met 
Attwood  of  Birmingham,  Lord  John  Russell, 
Mr.  D.  Davenport,  and  others,  whose  agreeable 
conversation  contrasted  pleasingly  with  the 
electioneering  talk  to  which  I  had  been  lately 
accustomed. 

The  next  evening,  at  the  House  of  Commons, 
Mr.  Warburton  showed  me  a  letter  which  he 
had  drawn  up  for  Hume  to  sign.  It  was  a 
refusal  to  stand  for  Middlesex.  A  short  time 
afterwards  "Warburton  told  me  Hume  had  made 
up  his  mind  to  come  forward  for  the  county. 
I  said  it  was  too  late  now,  and  that,  if  I  was 
to  take  an  active  part  in  the  contest,  my  consent 
was  indispensable.  Warburton  owned  Hume  had 
misconducted  himself,  but  begged  me  to  do 
nothing  until  the  next  day. 

June  25. — Warburton  showed  me  two  letters 
signed,  Joseph  Hume;  one  of  them  declining  to 


30  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830*  stand  for  Middlesex,  the  other  consenting  to  be 
a  candidate.  I  said  it  was  very  hard  to  throw 
the  weight  of  abandoning  the  project  upon  me, 
which  would  inevitably  be  the  case  if  I  accepted 
the  letter  of  resignation.  It  was  agreed  it  would 
be  difficult  to  find  any  other  man  besides  Hume. 
Warburton  then  said  that  "  he  would  be  answer- 
able for  £2,500  of  the  expenses  to  support  Hume." 
I  consented  to  take  the  letter  of  assent  on 
condition  that  I  might  refer  to  Lord  Althorp  and 
Mr.  Warburton  in  case  of  any  future  difficulty; 
and  so,  all  of  us  confessing  Joseph  Hume  to  be 
a  very  shabby  shuffling  fellow,  yet  believing  he 
might  be  a  useful  member  for  Middlesex,  we 
came  to  the  resolution  of  standing  by  him,  heart 
and  hand.  I  made  this  remark  in  my  Diary: 
"  If  Hume  should  be  returned  for  Middlesex,  he 
of  course  will  forget  that  he  owes  his  seat  to 
me  twice  over :  once,  when  I  commended  the 
project  to  Burdett  and  Place ;  and  again,  when 
I  accepted  his  affirmative  instead  of  his  negative 


answer." 


I  went  to  the  Committee-room,  and  commenced 
operations  immediately,  writing  circulars  and 
private  letters. 

I  apologise  to  those  whom  it  may  concern  for 
this  tiresome  story,  about  a  long-forgotten  episode 
of  our  times  and  adventures. 

PROM  DIARY. 

June   25. — There  was   no   House   of   Commons 


OHAP.  IX.  DEATH   OF    GEORGE   IV.  31 

to-day :  some  said  because  the  King  was  dying,  isso. 
others  because  the  Ministers  were  afraid ;  but 
there  was  a  serious  conflict  in  the  Lords,  Lord 
Grey  taking  a  most  hostile  attitude  on  the 
Gal  way  Franchise  Bill.  Ministers  had  a  majority 
of  only  15 ! 

We  dined  at  the  Duke  of  Somerset's.  Singularly 
enough,  I  sat  between  my  wife  and  Lady 
Charlotte. 

Lord  Tavistock  and  I  had  a  great  deal  of  talk 
on  politics.  We  agreed  as  to  the  strange  incon- 
sistency and  weakness  of  Lord  Grey's  general 
conduct,  sometimes  coquetting  with  Ministers, 
and  then  undoing  all  previous  courtship  by  un- 
reasonable hostility.  Now,  with  the  prospect  of 
a  new  reign,  this  change  has  much  the  air  of 
shabbiness.  Yet  he  is  not  a  shabby  man;  far 
from  it,  only  peevish  and  wayward.1 

Lord  Dudley  dined  with  us,  and  was  in  one  of 
his  most  absent  moods. 

June  26. — This  morning,  whilst  I  was  reading 
in  bed  Cunningham's  Life  of  Flaxman,  I  heard 
two  reports  of  great  guns.  A  little  later  I  saw 
a  man  in  the  street  with  newspapers  in  mourning, 
and  crying  the  sorrowful  news,  George  IV.  had 
died  at  ten  minutes  past  three  this  morning. 

I  went  to  the  House  of  Commons  a  little  after 
twelve,  and  found  many  Members  waiting  to  be 

1  I  had  many  opportunities,  after  writing  this,  of  seeing  Lord  Grey 
when  I  was  Secretary-at- War,  and  Secretary  for  Ireland,  under  him  ; 
and  I  believe  I  did  not  make  any  mistake  in  taking  this  view  of 
him— B. 


32  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830.  sworn  in,  but  the  Lord  Steward  had  not  arrived. 
The  Lords  had  taken  the  oaths  to  King  William  IV. 
Coming  through  the  Park,  I  saw  the  Duke  of 
Wellington  and  Peel  going  to  St.  James's,  where 
his  new  Majesty  had  arrived  and  gone  through 
the  usual  ceremonies.  I  heard  that  the  new  King 
would  not  he  proclaimed  until  Monday,  at  eleven 
o'clock. 

Warburton  and  I  walked  to  the  House  of 
Commons,  and  joined  a  crowd  of  Members  in 
the  long  gallery.  We  were  just  in  time  to  write 
down  our  names,  and  to  hurry  over  the  oaths 
with  the  rest — all  of  us  squeezing  and  giggling, 
and  running  off  to  the  House  to  be  in  time  to 
take  the  oaths  at  the  table  of  the  House.  The 
swearing  was  going  on  with  much  rapidity,  but 
I  was  not  soon  enough  to  go  through  my  part 
of  the  ceremony.  It  was  four  o'clock,  and  the 
Speaker  adjourned  the  swearing  to  ten  o'clock 
on  the  following  Monday.  The  oath  was  printed, 
but,  to  save  time,  the  name  of  George  IV.  was 
scratched  out,  and  William  filled  up  in  writing. 

After  I  went  away  Brougham  made  a  vehement 
speech  against  the  Marquis  of  Conyngham  for 
keeping  the  House  waiting,  and  contrasted  his 
conduct  with  the  considerate  conduct  of  His 
Majesty  William  IV.,  who  had  sent  for  the 
Speaker  to  facilitate  all  the  forms.  "  Conduct," 
said  our  orator,  "  that  called  forth  his  gratitude, 
and  expressions  which  would  find  a  responsive 
echo  in  the  breast  of  every  man  who  heard 


CHAP.  IX.  MOOD   OF   THE   NEW   KING  33 

him."      Loud   cheers,   says   the    paper.      Oh,   to     isso. 
be  sure ! 

I  saw  nothing  like  grief  or  joy — only  a  bustle 
in  the  streets.  Walking  afterwards  in  the  Green 
Park,  I  saw  the  Royal  carriage  with  the  Life 
Guards  escorting  William  IV.  up  Constitution 
Hill,  on  his  way  back  to  Bushy  Park.  Now, 
though  I  cannot  be  supposed  to  have  cause  to 
care  for  George  IV.  or  regret  him  in  any  way, 
yet  I  own  there  was  something  melancholy  and 
disagreeable  to  me  in  the  sight  of  his  successor 
in  the  instant  enjoyment  of  Majesty,  whilst  his 
brother's  body  was  scarcely  cold.  What  a  change, 
too,  for  him — coming  up  in  his  travelling  carriage 
and  stepping  from  it  to  a  throne.  The  common 
question  is,  how  long  will  it  be  before  he  is  crazy  ? 

Burdett  called,  and  said  history  would  have 
but  a  sad  tale  to  tell  of  George  IV.  The  Times 
threatens  a  character  "for  the  benefit  of  his 


successors." 


C.  Moore  told  me  that  King  William  IV.  was 
seen  on  the  road  to  London  this  morning,  in  his 
carriage,  with  a  bit  of  crape  on  a  white  hat, 
grinning  and  nodding  to  everybody  as  he  whirled 
along.  This  may  not  be  true,  but  the  rumour 
shows  the  character. 

June  27. — 

Vanessa,  not  of  years  a  score, 
Sighs  for  a  gown  of  forty- four !  ! ! 

June  28. — I  saw  the  ceremony  of  proclaiming 

VOL.    IV  5 


34  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830.  King  William  IV.  A  pretty  sight.  The  crowd 
was  orderly,  the  acclamations  confined  to  the 
heralds  and  officiating  people. 

I  went  to  the  House  of  Commons  and  took  my 
oaths  at  the  table.  Sir  G.  Murray,  Goulburn, 
Herries,  and  Peel  were  sworn  at  the  same  time. 
I  thought  they  all  looked  a  little  mournful,  hut 
it  was  said  they  were  very  well  received  by  the 
new  King,  who  was  very  formal  with  Lord  Grey. 

June  29. — Peel  brought  down  a  message  from 
the  King  announcing  immediate  dissolution  of 
Parliament. 

June  30. — Peel  explained  the  intentions  of  the 
Government  as  to  putting  off  all  but  very  urgent 
business,  and  not  settling  either  the  Civil  List  or 
the  Regency  question.  His  tone  was  very  humble. 
Lord  Althorp  proposed  a  delay  of  twenty-four 
hours  to  consider  subjects  of  such  vast  importance 
as  the  Regency;  and  Brougham  took  the  same 
line,  and  then  left  the  House.  We  divided  139 
to  185. 

I  heard  that  Althorp  had  communicated  with 
Lord  Grey,  who  moved  in  the  Lords  for  a  similar 
delay,  and  seemed  in  determined  opposition  to 
Ministers.  Lord  Ellenborough,  nothing  daunted, 
told  him  that  an  open  enemy  was  better  than 
an  insidious  friend.  The  Lords  in  opposition 
could  muster  only  51  against  more  than  double 
their  number. 

After  our  division  in  the  Commons,  Lord 
Althorp  moved  an  amendment  to  the  Address, 


CHAP.  IX.  BROUGHAM   AND   PEEL  35 

recommending  the  settlement  of  the  Regency  isso. 
before  the  dissolution  of  Parliament.  Everything 
seemed  going  on  quietly  enough,  and  we  had  not 
made  up  our  minds  about  dividing  on  Althorp's 
amendment,  when  Brougham  came  in,  I  supposed 
from  dinner,  and  soon  commenced  a  speech  which 
grew  more  furious  as  he  went  on;  and,  after 
personally  singling  out  Mr.  Dundas  and  Lord 
Castlereagh  for  ironically  cheering  him,  and 
exposing  them  to  the  ridicule  of  the  House  in 
every  possible  way,  he,  at  last,  insulted  the 
whole  bench  of  Ministers,  by  calling  them  "  base, 
fawning  parasites  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington/' 
5n  this  Sir  Robert  Peel  rose  to  order,  and  asked 
Brougham  whether  he  included  him  in  the  charge. 
There  was  great  cheering,  and  loud  cries  of 
"  Chair."  Brougham  replied  that  he  did  not 
allude  to  Peel,  and  he  tried  to  get  out  of  the 
scrape  as  well  as  he  could ;  on  which  Sir  Robert, 
with  infinite  skill  and  coolness,  said  he  had  no 
doubt  that  Brougham  did  not  allude  to  him,  or 
to  anybody  personally,  and  that  it  would  have 
been  better,  instead  of  making  an  unsatisfactory 
explanation,  to  have  said  at  once  that  he  had 
been  betrayed  to  use  the  words  by  the  heat  of  the 
debate;  and  that,  as  Brougham  had  not  made 
that  excuse,  he  would  make  it  for  him.  On  this 
there  was  a  cheer  from  all  sides  of  the  House ; 
and  Brougham  rose  and  accepted  Peel's  interpre- 
tation of  his  language.  So  ended  this  scene,  to  the 
honour  and  glory  of  the  Ministers,  and,  as  usual, 


36  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 


1830.  to  the  confusion  of  my  learned  friend,  who,  as 
Lord  Howick  told  me,  lost  us  at  least  four  votes 
by  his  intemperance.  We  had,  however,  a  strong 
division,  being  146  to  193. 

July  2. — I  received  a  copy  of  Resolutions, 
passed  at  a  meeting  of  Westminster  electors, 
inviting  Burdett  and  myself  to  be  put  in 
nomination  at  the  ensuing  election.  I  gave  a 
formal  answer  in  the  affirmative,  without  any 
expressions  of  gratitude,  which  I  cannot  say  I 
feel. 

July  4. — I  went  to  a  meeting  at  Lord  Althorp's 
after  church  to-day.  There  were  about  sixty 
Members  there :  Brougham,  Lord  Morpeth,  T. 
Cooke,  Sir  James  Graham,  and  many  others  whom 
I  had  not  seen  before. 

It  seems  they  had  been  discussing  about  forming 
a  systematic  Opposition,  and  when  I  came  in, 
Cooke  and  others  were  congratulating  the  com- 
pany upon  the  good  old  times  of  Whiggism  and 
party  being  likely  to  be  restored  under  ftie 
auspices  of  Lord  Althorp.  Morpeth  and  Sir 
James  Graham  said  that  the  reason  they  had 
not  attended  these  meetings  before,  was  that  they 
did  not  think  they  were  sufficiently  hostile  to 
Ministers. 

We  discussed  what  was  to  be  done  about 
Ri.  Grant's  motion  on  the  Regency  question ;  and 
in  spite  of  this  wonderful  and  sudden  union, 
there  seemed  to  be  a  variety  of  opinions.  It 
was  finally  agreed  we  should  go  in  force  ready 


CHAP.  IX.  THE    REGENCY   QUESTION  37 

to   divide   or   not,  as   best   advised   at   the   time,     isso 
and  so  we   separated,  having,  as   Maule    said   to 
me,  just  done  nothing. 

Joe  Hume,  who  was  there  for  the  first  time, 
said  the  only  sensible  thing  I  heard,  namely  that 
unless  Lord  Grey  and  Lord  Holland  and  other 
party  men  would  declare  for  cutting  down  places 
and  for  more  decisive  reform  than  they  ever  had 
yet  done,  the  people  would  not  sympathise  with 
any  Parliamentary  efforts  of  theirs. 

July  5. — I  had  a  talk  with  Cal craft  on  the 
state  of  parties.  He  confessed  to  me  that 
Government  had  never  been  sure  of  a  majority 
since  their  acceptance  of  office,  and  could  not  go 
on  as  at  present  constituted.  Shortly  after  I  had 
a  conversation  with  Mr.  Arbuthnot,  Chancellor  of 
the  Duchy  of  Lancaster,  who  held  nearly  the 
same  language.  He  owned,  however,  there  was 
only  one  man  of  their  opponents  of  whom  they 
had  reason  to  complain — that  was  Sir  James 
Graham ;  for  with  him  they  had  negotiations  at 
the  beginning  of  the  Session,  and  had  therefore 
no  right  to  expect  the  violent  and  systematic 
opposition  which  he  had  given  to  them. 

July  6. — E».  Grant  brought  on  his  motion  as  to 
the  necessity  of  settling  the  Regency  question. 
Brougham  made  a  humorous  but  offensive  speech, 
and  in  a  very  inartificial  manner  ended  by  an 
eulogy  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  which  pleased 
no  one.  Tom  Moore,  however,  told  me  he  was 
lost  in  admiration  at  the  speech.  In  spite  of  it 


38  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

isao.  we  made  a  wretched  figure,  only  93  against  247. 
Never  was  there  a  more  complete  defeat  in  a  less 
worthy  cause. 

July  8. — Dined  at  Burdett's.  Rogers  and  Moore 
there.  A  complete  school  for  scandal,  chiefly  of 
and  concerning  Horace  Twiss's  dinners  to  the 
Duke  of  Wellington. 

Rogers  told  me  that  he  had  tried  to  bring  the 
Duke  of  Wellington  together  with  Lord  Grey 
and  Lord  Holland  at  his  house  at  dinner,  but  it 
would  not  do.  Lord  Holland  told  many  diverting 
stories  and  did  his  best,  but  His  Grace  never 
relaxed  a  muscle.  This  was  in  last  May :  who 
knows  but  this  failure  has  sharpened  Lord 
Holland's  wits  against  the  Duke  ?  Everybody 
now  sees  the  folly  of  the  Whigs. 

July  9. — I  spoke  and  voted  against  the  recog- 
nisance clause  in  the  Libel  Law  Amendment 
Bill.  Banishment  for  libel  abolished,  after  eleven 
years  of  existence  in  the  Statute  Book,  during 
which  time  it  has  never  once  been  acted  upon. 

We  went  to  a  party  at  Lord  Grey's,  and  in 
came  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  who  was  as  gay 
and  affable  with  mine  host  as  if  nothing  had 
happened.  This  is  the  way  to  succeed  in  the 
world. 

July  10. — I  dined  with  Lady  Cork,  Dr.  John- 
son's dunce.  She  seemed  physically  to  be  rather 
breaking,  but  then  she  is  eighty-six.  Intellect- 
ually she  is  as  young  as  ever.  Her  brother, 
Mr.  Monckton,  was  at  the  table;  he  was  eighty- 


CHAP.  IX.  FUNERAL   OF    GEORGE   TV.  39 

eight.     Lord  Eobert  Spencer  was  there  also;  he     isso. 
too  was  eighty-eight.     A  more  pleasant  evening  I 
had  not   passed  for  a  long  time. 

July  11. — News  arrived  that  Algiers  was  taken 
on  the  5th  of  this  month.1 

July  15. — George  IV.  buried  to-day.  Lord 
Tweeddale,  who  was  at  the  ceremony,  told  me 
that  the  account  in  the  Times  was  every  word 
true.  It  was  a  tiresome,  ill-managed,  tawdry 
pageant.  Not  a  tear  was  shed,  nor  a  sigh 
heard.  Paces  scarcely  grave.  William  IV. 
smiling  and  chatting. 

I  called  this  day  on  Lord  Lauderdale,  and 
heard  that  Lord  Jersey  was  made  Lord  Chamber- 
lain. The  Duke  of  Wellington  announced  the 
appointment  to  him  by  letter.  He  was  at  New- 
market, and  did  not  receive  it.  Lady  Jersey 
wrote  to  the  Duke,  asking  for  tickets  for  the 
funeral.  He  said  that  he  had  no  tickets,  and 
she  had  better  apply  to  the  proper  officer — 
namely,  the  Lord  Chamberlain.  When .  Lord 
Jersey  returned  home  she  showed  him  the  Duke's 
note,  and  he  could  not  understand  it,  as  he  had 
not  yet  opened  the  Duke's  letter. 

Lord  Lauderdale  did  not  approve  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  Duke  of  Buckingham  to  be  Lord 
Steward,  and  told  me  that  his  Grace  did  not 
know  his  own  mind  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour 

1  In  consequence  of  an  insult  offered  to  the  French  representative 
by  the  Dey  of  Algiers,  an  expedition  was  sent  under  General  de 
Bourmont  and  Admiral  Duperre.  After  two  battles  and  a  short 
siege,  Algiers  was  surrendered  on  July  6,  1830. 


40  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830.  together.  In  1827  he  wrote  to  him  (Lord 
Lauderdale),  asking  him  to  sign  a  declaration 
of  uncompromising  hostility  to  Mr.  Canning. 
Shortly  afterwards  he  applied  to  Mr.  Canning 
for  a  place.  Soon  after  that  he  opposed  the 
Ministers. 

July  19. — I  went  to  a  public  meeting  at  Maryle- 
bohe,  called  to  take  into  consideration  my  Vestry 
Bill.  We  had  a  very  good  meeting,  and  the  whole 
proceedings  passed  off  in  a  very  satisfactory 
manner  to  me.  I  put  to  rights  the  misconceptions 
relative  to  my  Bill. 

The  King  is  very  lively.  To-day  he  reviewed 
the  Guards  in  St.  James's  Park,  and  made  the 
officers  kiss  hands  on  parade  !  ! 

July  21. — I  went  to  the  King's  Levee.  The 
number  of  people  greater  than  I  have  ever  seen. 
The  squeezing,  and  crowd,  and  heat  tremendous. 
My  name  was  mentioned  in  form  to  His  Majesty  by 
Lord  Glenlyon,  when  the  King  said,  "  How  d'ye 
do  ?  "  .and  gave  me  his  hand  to  kiss.  This  I  did 
without  saying  "Very  well,  thank  ye,"  and  so 
passed  on.  The  Duke  of  Sussex  gave  me  a  most 
cordial  shake  by  the  hand,  and  seemed  most  happy 
to  show  his  new  court  honours.  He  is  Banger  of 
Windsor  Park. 

July  22. — This  day  Lord  Grey  told  me  that  Sir 
B.  Wilson  was  restored  to  his  rank,  and  restored 
in  the  most  full  and  obliging  manner,  being  raised 
to  a  Lieutenant- Generalship,  from  date  of  1825. 
Lord  Grey  remarked  to  me  that  the  King  had 


CHAP.  IX.  PARLIAMENT   PROROGUED  41 

done  nothing  but  kind  things  since  his  accession     1830. 
and  spoke  in  a  tone  very  different  from  his  late 
attacks  on  Ministers. 

FROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

July  23. — I  went  early  to  the  House  of  Com- 
mons, and  saw  King  William  come  down  in  state 
to  prorogue  the  Parliament — a  very  fine  sight  on 
a  very  fine  day.  I  squeezed  into  the  Lords  wStJi 
our  Speaker,  and  heard  him  deliver  his  speech  to 
the  King,  in  which  he  boasted  of  the  great  things 
done  by  the  present  Parliament.  Not  three  weeks 
before,  he  had  said  to  me,  he  did  not  know  what 
the  House  had  done  by  all  its  late  sittings.  These 
harangues,  however,  are  so  much  a  matter  of 
course  that  they  admit  of  a  little  exaggeration ; 
and  Sutton  said  what  he  had  to  say  well,  and  in  a 
full  round  voice.  King  William  also  performed 
his  part  well.  He  spoke  with  a  clear  sharp-toned 
voice,  and  what  he  said  was  good  and  agreeable  to 
hear.  He  called  us  a  free  and  a  loyal  people.  He 
said  the  Catholic  Emancipation  Law  was  irre- 
vocable. The  Duke  of  Norfolk  officiated  as  Earl 
Marshal  on  one  hand  of  him,  and  the  Duke  of 
Wellington  bore  the  sword  of  state  on  the  other 
side.  The  King  of  Wurtemberg  was  present,  but 
lost  amongst  our  great  folks.  About  300  ladies 
were  in  the  House.  I  saw  His  Majesty  return  to 
the  palace.  There  was  not  much  cheering ;  but, 
when  the  Duke  of  Wellington  passed,  the  applause 
was  very  great. 

VOL.    IV  6 


42  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830.  The  dissolution  of  Parliament  appeared  in  the 
Gazette  of  July  24,  and  perhaps  my  public  life  is 
at  an  end. 

July  26. — I  saw  King  William  review  between 
five  and  six  thousand  troops  in  Hyde  Park.  I 
was  on  the  balcony  of  Lord  Dudley's  house  in 
Park  Lane.  The  arrangements  were  excellent, 
and,  when  the  review  was  over  and  the  crowd 
began  to  mix  with  the  soldiers,  the  multitude 
appeared  innumerable.  They  were  in  very  good 
humour,  and  cheered  the  King,  the  Queen,  the 
King  of  "Wurtemberg,  the  Duke  of  Sussex,  and  all 
the  Royal  suite,  particularly  the  Maids  of  Honour. 
The  party  at  Lord  Dudley's  added  a  good  deal 
to  the  gaiety  of  the  scene ;  many  of  the  most 
beautiful  women  in  London  were  amongst  them. 
In  the  balcony  was  Sir  Sidney  Smith,  whom  I  had 
not  seen  for  many  years.  He  appeared  to  wear 
well,  but  looked  rather  like  an  old  beau.  He 
had  just  been  made  a  General  of  Marines — another 
act  of  Royal  kindness. 

July  28. — The  newspapers  of  this  morning 
contained  a  report  of  the  Polignac  Ministers  to 
Charles  X.,  and  two  ordinances  founded  thereon — 
one  of  which  abolished  altogether  the  Liberty  of 
the  Press,  and  the  other  dissolved  the  Chamber  of 
Deputies,  and  remodelled,  or  rather  destroyed,  the 
representative  system  in  France.  Our  English 
press,  of  all  shades  in  politics,  held  the  same 
language,  and  said,  "  If  the  French  bear  this,  they 
deserve  to  be  slaves."  The  few  people  I  saw  on 


CHAP.  IX.        GLORIOUS    NEWS   FROM    FRANCE  43 

this  day  held  the  same  language ;  but  I  thought 
the  general  feeling  was  that  they  would  bear  it. 
They  did  not  bear  it ;  for  on  Eriday,  July  30, 
Rothschild  received  a  despatch  from  Paris,  saying 
that  the  people  in  Paris  had  taken  up  arms  and 
were  fighting  with  the  King's  troops  when  the 
messenger  came  away.  This  news  drove  the 
thoughts  of  the  Westminster  election,  which  was 
to  take  place  the  next  day,  out  of  my  head ;  but 
I  was  obliged  to  attend  to  my  own  concerns  when 
the  time  came. 

July  31. — The  crowd  at  Covent  Garden  was  not 
great,  but  the  attendance  of  our  friends  was  very 
flattering.  I  hardly  missed  a  man  either  of  the 
old  or  young  Westminster  Reformers.  When 
Burdett  and  I  had  done  speaking,  the  High 
Bailiff  read  our  names  to  the  people,  and,  as 
no  one  else  was  proposed,  declared  us  duly  elected. 
Then  came  the  glorious  news  from  France.  The 
King  had  fled — the  people  were  everywhere  trium- 
phant— and  the  tricoloured  flag  was  flying  on  the 
Tuileries  and  the  Column  of  the  Place  Vendome. 

I  was,  perhaps  more  than  was  wise,  transported 
with  the  Revolution  of  July,  and  wrote  to 
Lafayette  sending  him  £100  for  the  subscription 
opened  for  the  families  of  those  who  fell  during 
the  short  but  decisive  conflict. 

August  5. — I  went  to  Brentford,  and  met  Mr. 
Hume  and  his  procession  of  seventy-three  carriages 
and  two  steamboats.  Mr.  Byng  did  not  come 
until  near  two  o'clock.  They  were  both  elected 


44  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830.  without  opposition,  and  thanked  the  freeholders 
in  speeches  which  were  received  as  might  be 
expected,  Hume's  address  related  chiefly  to 
Prance. 

Burdett,  in  his  address  to  the  Westminster 
electors,  expatiated  on  French  politics  at  length. 
This  frightened  some  City  friends,  and  kept  the 
funds  down.  The  cry  amongst  these  timid  people 
was,  "  Here  is  the  revolutionary  spirit  in  England, 
and  we  shall  have  another  long  war."  The 
sagacious  soldier  at  the  head  of  the  Government 
used  language  very  different.  He  was  angry,  not 
with  the  French  movement,  hut  with  those  who 
had  caused  it.  Calling  at  Messrs.  Ransom's  hank, 
Mr.  Williams,  the  principal  partner,  told  me  that 
the  Duke  of  Wellington  had  just  been  there,  on 
business  of  his  own,  and  asked  "  What  French 
news  there  was  in  the  City  ?  "  and,  hearing  what 
had  been  done  by  Charles  X.  and  his  Ministers, 
exclaimed,  "  Oh,  oh  I  ay,  damn'd  fools !  all  soon 
over — all  soon  over — first  resigned,  then  repented, 
then  resigned  again." 

FROM  DIARY. 

August  10. — See  by  the  Courier  that  the  French 
Crown  was  decreed  to  be  offered  to  the  Duke  of 
Orleans  by  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  on  Saturday 
last,  on  condition  of  his  swearing  to  the  new 
Charter ;  and  at  5  o'clock  p.m.  of  that  day  a 
deputation  from  the  Chamber  walked  from  their 
place  of  assembly  to  the  Palais  Royal,  and  did  in 


CHAP.  IX.         ACCESSION   OF   LOUIS   PHILIPPE  45 

the  name  of  the  French  people  offer  the  Duke  the  isso. 
crown.  Laffitte,  the  banker,  read  the  new  Charter 
and  announced  the  decision  of  the  Chamber  as  to 
His  Royal  Highness.  The  Duke  answered  shortly, 
accepted  the  crown  and  the  conditions,  and  then 
threw  himself  weeping  into  the  arms  of  Laffitte 
and  Lafayette,  so  says  the  account  in  the  French 
papers.  All  history  does  not  record  such  a  scene. 
I  would  have  given  half  of  my  useless  life  to  have 
witnessed  it. 

PROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

August  9. — The  Duke  of  Orleans  proceeded  in 
state  to  the  Chamber  of  Deputies,  signed  the 
Declaration  of  the  Representative  body  and  the 
adherence  of  the  Peers  ;  then  swore  to  the  observ- 
ance of  the  new  Charter ;  and,  being  saluted  Philip 
the  First,  King  of  the  French,  took  his  seat  upon 
the  Throne,  and  delivered  a  speech  to  the  two 
Chambers. 

A  great  dinner  was  given  by  His  Majesty  to 
a  mixed  party,  Ministers,  Peers,  Deputies,  and 
others,  at  which  none  of  the  old  royal  ceremonials 
were  observed.  This  pleased  the  Parisians,  who 
showed  their  attachment  to  equality,  even  whilst 
behaving  with  wonderful  moderation.  A  crowd 
assembled  whilst  the  Chamber  was  discussing  the 
question  of  an  hereditary  peerage,  and  shouted 
"  No  Hereditary  Peerage  "  so  long  and  so  loudly 
that  Constant  and  Lafayette  were  obliged  to  address 
them  before  they  would  separate,  with  the  under- 


46  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830.     standing   that   the   subject   would  be    considered 
hereafter. 

PROM  DIARY. 

August  13. — Burdett  has  allowed  the  notorious 
Mr.  Buckingham1  to  get  up  a  dinner  to  com- 
memorate the  recent  Revolution  in  Prance,  with- 
out a  word  to  our  Westminster  friends,  who  are 
in  great  perplexity.  "Tis  a  difficult  thing  to  act 
with  Burdett  now ;  he  is  certainly  losing  his  head, 
at  least  his  memory. 

August  18. — The  dinner  was  well  attended  and 
went  off  very  well.  Sir  Prancis  gave  the  health  of 
King  Louis  Philippe  and  the  Prench  Nation.  I 
gave  the  health  of  Lafayette  and  the  National 
Guards  of  Prance.  One  newspaper  reported  that 
inflammatory  placards  were  dispersed  about.  It 
was  not  true. 

August  19. — The  Times  and  Herald  give  a  most 
wretched  account  of  our  dinner,  and  particularly 
so  far  as  regards  myself.  However,  this  always 
has  been  my  fate.  If  I  have  any  fame  it  will  not 
be  newspaper  fame.  I  do  not  think  I  ever  spoke 
better  in  my  life  than  at  this  dinner,  nor  was  ever 
more  applauded,  but  the  report  in  these  papers 
scarcely  notices  what  I  said.  The  Chronicle  is 
more  fair. 

August  20. — I  sent  Warburton  £50,  my  sub- 
scription to  Joseph  Hume's  election,  which,  in 

1  James  Silk  Buckingham,  who  was  expelled  from  India  in  1823 
for  journalistic  attacks  on  the  Government. 


CHAP. ix.     GALT'S  "LIFE  OF  LORD  BYRON"  47 

consequence  of  my  propositions  to  Warburton,  1330. 
will  not  cost  Joseph  Hume  one  farthing.  Yet  this 
worthy  man  on  the  day  of  his  election  said  to  our 
Westminster  Chairman :  "  /  hope  after  this  your 
Westminster  Members  will  behave  a  little  better" 
These  Westminster  Members  made  him  M.P.  for 
Middlesex. 

I  see  that  some  of  the  Royal  Family  of  France 
have  landed  in  the  Isle  of  France.  Everything 
goes  on  prosperously  at  Paris.  Philippe  has 
named  his  Ministers.  Benjamin  Constant  is 
Counsellor  of  State  with  a  presidency ;  Lafayette, 
permanent  Commander  of  the  National  Guards. 
The  republican  party  complain  that  the  "  doctrin- 
aires "  are  put  at  the  head  of  affairs,  and  that 
the  Faubourg  St.  Germain  is  succeeded  by  the 
Chaussee  d'Antin.  They  are  trying  to  adapt  their 
reformed  plans  to  the  Chamber  of  Deputies,  but 
find  some  embarrassment  now  that  the  initiative 
is  not  confined  to  the  Ministers.  They  would  do 
well  to  copy  our  formalities,  which  I  think  are 
sensible  and  the  fruit  of  experience. 

August  28. — News  from  France  good.  Polignac 
taken.  He  was  disguised  as  servant  to  Me  de 
Fargeau  and  on  the  point  of  embarking  at  Gran- 
ville.  His  rings  and  watch-chain,  and  his  em- 
barrassed manner  it  is  said,  betrayed  him.  His 
conduct  since  his  apprehension  has  been  that  of 
an  extremely  weak  man. 

August  30. — This  day  Gait's  Life  of  Lord  Byron 
came  down.  I  find  he  says  that  the  "  good  critic 


48  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830.    who   condemned   '  Childe   Harold'   was   probably 
Mr.  Hobhouse." 

I  wrote  John  Gait  a  remonstrance  for  his 
gratuitous  falsehood  about  me ;  hinting  also  that 
the  idle  stories  in  which  he  makes  me  figure  with 
Byron  were  not  very  agreeable,  although  I  was 
willing  to  overlook  them ;  but  I  must  have  the 
"  Childe  Harold  "  conjecture  cancelled. 

On  September  5  I  received  a  letter  from  Gait 
promising  to  correct  the  error  in  the  Monthly 
Magazine,  and  wished  all  he  said  of  Byron  or 
me  to  be  "kindly  considered."  I  do  not  quite 
know  what  line  to  take  with  him ;  he  has  not 
got  the  sense  or  feeling  which  makes  correction 
effectual. 

PROM  BOOK,  "  BECOLLECTIONS." 

On  August  31st  came  the  news  of  a  revolution 
in  Brussels.  In  Prance  also  an  outcry  had  been 
raised  against  what  was  called  the  new  aristocracy, 
that  is,  those  who  had  got  a  little  more  money 
than  their  neighbours.  We  were,  however,  happy 
to  see  that  Lord  Stewart,  our  Ambassador  at 
Paris,  had  delivered  his  credentials  in  form  to 
Louis  Philippe. 

PROM  DIARY. 

September  13. — Moved  to  Brighton,  where  my 
father  and  family  were  passing  the  autumn. 
Very  much  struck  with  the  gaiety  and  number 
of  the  population,  and  the  great  addition  to  the 


CHAP.  IX.  THE   KING   AT   BRIGHTON  49 

buildings  since  I  was  last  there.     The  chain  pier     isso. 
admirable  "  pour  sa  noble  inutilite,"  as  Mme.  de 
Stael  says  of  music. 

The  first  person  I  met  on  the  road  was  the 
King,  in  a  plain  equipage.  He  drives  about  like 
any  other  private  gentleman.  The  Queen  rides 
about  on  horseback  and  bathes  in  the  Royal 
Bath  near  the  Steyne.  In  short,  the  worthy 
couple  are  like  wealthy  bourgeois. 

Whilst  my  father's  carriage  was  at  our  door, 
10,  Montpeller  Road,  the  King  came  past  and 
Colonel  George  Fitzclarence  riding  behind.  Great 
greetings  between  his  Majesty,  the  Colonel,  and 
my  father.  All  this  is  worth  recording  only  in 
contrast  with  our  late  Asiatic  monarch. 

September  17. — The  Liverpool  and  Manchester 
Railway  was  opened  on  Wednesday  last.  It  is 
said  there  were  half  a  million  of  people  to  witness 
the  ceremony.  The  Duke  of  Wellington  and 
Peel  were  present.  Mr.  Huskisson  was  getting 
down  from  his  own  car  to  shake  hands  with 
the  Duke  of  Wellington,  when  he  was  stopped 
by  some  gentleman,  who  spoke  to  him  and 
detained  him  on  the  railroad  until  the  Rocket 
moved  rapidly  upon  them,  and  in  the  hurry  to 
get  into  the  Duke's  car,  Huskisson  was  knocked 
or  fell  down,  and  the  wheels  of  the  Rocket  went 
over  one  of  his  legs  across  the  calf  and  thigh, 
and  double-fractured  both.  He  was  conveyed 
to  Eccles  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Blackburn,  and 
died  at  nine  o'clock  at  night.  This  fatal  accident 

VOL.  iv  7 


50  LONDON  CHAP.  IX. 

1830.  damped  one  of  the  most  surprising  sights  that 
the  world  has  ever  witnessed.  The  carriage  that 
carried  Lord  Wilton  when  he  went  for  a  surgeon 
travelled  at  the  rate  of  thirty-three  miles  an 
hour. 

FROM  BOOK,  "RECOLLECTIONS." 

September  17. — Huskisson  seemed  to  have  been 
sincerely  regretted  at  Liverpool,  and  he  was  in 
the  enjoyment  of  a  great  reputation.  Alexander 
Baring  wrote  to  me  saying  that,  the  great  Par- 
liamentary light  being  extinguished,  we  must  be 
content  now  with  farthing  candles. 

An  article  in  the  Times  said  that  his  loss  was 
irreparable.  On  reading  this  I  made  a  remark, 
thus  recorded :  "  I  am  not  an  unprejudiced  nor 
a  competent  judge,  but  if  this  is  true,  England 
is  in  a  very  lamentable  condition."  My  own 
opinion  was  that  Huskisson,  as  a  politician, 
might  be  missed,  but  would  not  be  mourned. 
As  a  private  man  he  was  said  to  be  very 
amiable. 


CHAPTER  X 

FROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

September  25. — Lord  Nugent  has  seen  Charles  X.     isso. 
at  Lulworth,1  and  heard  His  Majesty  talk  very 
openly  on  French  affairs.     He  said  the  Revolution 
would   soon    pass    away,   and  he  be  back   again 
in  Paris. 

The  Duke  of  Norfolk  also  had  a  conversation 
with  Charles  X.  at  Lulworth,  and  he  told  my 
brother  Henry  that  Charles  drew  a  distinction 
between  the  Duke  of  Wellington's  policy  in 
granting  Catholic  Emancipation  and  his  own 
in  opposing  all  liberal  measures.  He  remarked 
that  the  Relief  Bill  was  the  completion  of 
many  concessions  previously  made  to  the  Roman 
Catholics,  and  he  should,  himself,  have  voted 
for  it ;  but  that  he  and  his  family  had  never 
willingly  made  any  concessions  to  the  French 
Liberals,  and  that  he  had  a  right  to  recover 
the  privileges  belonging  to  the  Crown.  He  said 
that  he  would  take  the  same  steps  again  if 
he  had  the  same  assurances  of  success.  He 

1  In  August  1830  Charles  X.  fled  to  England  and  for  some  time 
resided  at  Lulworth,  near  Swanage,  the  seat  of  the  Weld  family, 
whence  he  proceeded  to  Holyrood. 

51 


52  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

1830.  confessed,  however,  that  his  Ministers  were  to 
hlame  for  not  knowing  the  feelings  of  the 
French  people.  They  had  assured  him  that  the 
Ordinances  would  be  acceded  to  with  little  or 
no  resistance.  He  concluded  thus :  "  Pour  moi 
et  pour  mon  fils  tout  est  fini ;  mais  pour  cet 
enfant  [the  Duke  of  Bordeaux],  il  sera  le  salut 
de  la  France." 

FROM  DIARY. 

September  26. — My  brother  Henry  tells  me  that 
the  moneyed  men  entertain  the  greatest  apprehen- 
sions of  some  catastrophe  even  in  England,  and 
that  the  great  fall  in  the  funds  the  other  day  was 
occasioned  by  Rothschild,  and  Jones,  Loyd  &  Co., 
and  Smith,  etc.,  giving  notice  to  those  to  whom 
they  had  lent  money  that  they  should  want  it 
soon.  The  borrowers  made  heavy  sales  accordingly. 

September  28. — Lord  and  Lady  James  Hay 
dined  with  us.  They  have  just  arrived  from 
France,  and  were  in  Paris  during  the  great  week. 
They  gave  us  some  particulars  of  recent  events 
which  we  could  not  have  had  from  any  other 
quarter. 

The  Swiss  and  French  Guard  behaved  well. 
Whenever  a  soldier  fell  he  was  either  carried  off 
in  a  hackney  coach  or  dragged  into  some  shop, 
where  his  mustachios  was  cut  off  and  he  was 
put  to  bed  by  the  humane  Parisian ;  but  the 
Revolutionists  were  left  in  heaps  where  they 
fell. 


CHAP.  X.  A   DEMOCRATIC   COURT  53 

All  that  the  Hays  mentioned  confirms  the  isso. 
general  notion  of  the  amiable  character  of  Louis 
Philippe.  They  add  that  he  is  reckoned  a  man 
of  great  talent,  and  he  is  thought  by  the  Parisians 
to  write  his  Ministers'  reports,  etc.  I  hope  not. 
They  consider  his  Government  the  most  stable  in 
Europe,  next  to  that  of  England. 

September  30. — News  confirmed  of  the  insurrec- 
tion at  Brussels.  I  am  not  without  apprehensions 
for  the  consequences — perhaps  a  Continental  war, 
and  then  England  forced  into  the  struggle,  which 
I  contend  she  cannot  support  and  pay  the  interest 
of  her  debt. 

October  2. — Lady  James  Hay  tells  me  ^that  a 
Countess  Montalembert  (a  Miss  Forbes)  is  giving 
out  here  that  Louis  Philippe  keeps  a  democratic 
court  and  desires  folks  to  come  in  boots.  This 
is  false ;  but  if  it  were  so,  have  not  the  French 
gained  more  than  such  obliquities  can  compensate  ? 
"Point  de  boucles  a  ses  souliers,  alors  tout  est 
perdu/' 

October  6. — John  Gait  has  published  in  the  new 
Monthly  Magazine  a  letter  which,  so  far  from 
correcting  his  error,  aggravates  his  offence.  This 
fellow  annoys  me  as  much  as  if  he  was  the  first 
of  biographers.  Yet  I  knew  him  when  Byron  and 
I  used  to  laugh  at  him  as  the  most  absurd  of 
coxcombs,  scarcely  responsible  for  his  conduct,  for 
he  had  a  touch  of  crazy  folly  about  him. 

October  19. — Lord  and  Lady  Tweeddale  with 
us,  just  come  from  Geneva  by  Paris.  They 


54  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

1830.  say  that  they  ohserved  nothing  particular  in 
Prance,  except  that  there  were  no  carriages  or 
fine-dressed  women  in  Paris.  Great  appre- 
hensions entertained  for  Ternaux's  house,  and 
even  rumours  ahout  Laffitte.  Rothschild  has 
been  transmitting  gold  in  vast  quantities  to 
Paris,  and  eleven  of  Meurice's  carriages  are 
employed  between  Calais  and  the  capital  for 
that  purpose. 

Tweeddale  says  that  all  the  people  with  whom 
he  spoke  were  for  saving  the  Ministers,  but  there 
was  a  cry  against  them.  He  hopes  much  from 
the  National  Guard ;  nevertheless  many  think 
that  a  crisis  is  at  hand,  and  some  anticipate  a 
Jacobin  insurrection.  Amidst  these  wonders 
turns  up  another  miracle  :  the  Prince  of  Orange 
has  declared  the  Independence  of  Belgium  at 
Antwerp  and  half  shaken  off  the  Government 
of  his  father ;  no  one  knows  how  to  account  for 
his  conduct. 

October  22. — It  seems  that  the  rioters  in  Paris 
have  received  a  check ;  politics  seem  to  have 
taken  a  liberal  complexion  everywhere. 

October  23. — The  Courier  of  last  night  contains 
the  good  news  that  the  King  and  Lafayette, 
supported  by  the  National  Guard  and  troops  of 
the  line,  have,  by  their  decided  conduct,  put  down 
the  Paris  populace. 

October  26. — Parliament  met  this  day. 

October  28. — Went  down  to  the  House  of  Com- 
mons. Took  the  oath  and  my  seat.  H.  Brougham 


CHAP.  X.  THE   STRUGGLE   IN   BELGIUM  55 

and  I  held  the  swearing  board  together,  and  he    isso. 
parodied  the  oath  as  we  went  on. 

FROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

October  29. — It  was  natural  that  the  Revolution 
of  July  in  France  should  cause  much  commotion 
and  alarm  in  Europe,  and  more  particularly  in  the 
neighbouring  states.  It  could  hardly  be  expected 
that  the  new  kingdom  of  the  Netherlands  should 
escape  the  infection.  But  the  struggle  in  Belgium 
lasted  longer,  and  was  more  sanguinary,  than  it 
had  been  in  France.  A  young  English  officer  of 
the  43rd  R/egiment,  of  the  name  of  Byrne,  was 
present  and  saw  the  fighting. 

He  told  me  that  the  conduct  of  the  Dutch 
troops  was  cruel  in  the  extreme.  He  saw  a  poor 
old  notary  killed  by  a  soldier,  who  knocked  at 
his  door,  and,  when  he  opened  it,  shot  him  dead. 
He  also  saw  a  citizen,  who  flung  down  his  musket 
and  called  for  quarter,  deliberately  shot;  but  he 
had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  ruffian  knocked 
over  immediately  afterwards.  Two  drummer-boys 
of  thirteen  and  fourteen  years  of  age  were  shot 
in  cold  blood.  This  gentleman  assured  me  that 
the  newspaper  accounts  of  the  atrocities  com- 
mitted by  the  Dutch  soldiers  had  not  been  at  all 
exaggerated. 

November  2. — I  went  to  the  House  of  Commons, 
and  found  our  folk  full  of  fury  and  indignation 
at  the  King's  Speech.  It  called  the  people  at 
Brussels  revolters,  and  praised  the  administration 


56  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

1830.  of  their  Dutch  King  as  being  prudent  and  en- 
lightened, and  stated  that  England,  in  concert 
with  her  allies,  was  trying  to  restore  good  govern- 
ment, and  what  not ;  in  short,  a  Holy  Alliance 
speech.  As  to  domestic  matters :  alarm,  dis- 
affection, and  so  forth.  Doubtless  the  whole 
intended  to  recall  the  ultra-Tories  to  their  old 
fears.  We  shall  see. 

Althorp  declared  against  the  foreign  policy  of 
the  speech,  and  said  that  he  should  support 
Government  when  right  and  oppose  them  when 
wrong  ;  and  that  he  should  not  be  deterred  as 
he  had  been,  by  any  fear  of  turning  them  out. 
I  ought  to  have  risen  then,  being  resolved  to 
oppose  the  Government  now ;  as  they  have  taken 
their  line  I  have  nothing  left  for  it ;  but  Lord 
Blandford  got  up  and  made  a  foolish  speech, 
concluding  with  an  amendment  of  a  mile  long 
against  the  late  House  of  Commons,  so  I  lost  my 
turn  and  sat  restless  the  whole  evening,  feeling 
I  did  not  do  as  I  wished  nor  as  I  ought. 

Brougham  made  an  admirable  speech,  pulling 
the  King's  Speech,  especially  the  Belgic  modera- 
tion, to  pieces,  but  ended  with  a  foolish  flourish 
about  "perishing  with  the  aristocracy."  He  gave 
notice  of  bringing  on  his  Parliamentary  Reform 
motion  on  Tuesday,  the  16th. 

The  Duke  of  Wellington  made  a  speech  in  the 
Lords,  and  declared  against  Reform.  I  hear  he 
was  hissed,  and  hurt  by  a  stone.  The  King  was 
applauded. 


CHAP.  X.  POPULAR   UNEASINESS  57 

November  3. — At  the  House  of  Commons  I  gave  isso. 
notice  of  addressing  the  Crown  on  non-interference 
with  Belgic  affairs.  I  was  much  cheered,  and  all 
told  me  I  had  done  right.  That  remains  to  be 
proved,  but  I  know  I  intend  to  do  right.  Lord 
Morpeth  told  the  House  that  I  had  anticipated 
him  only  by  a  few  minutes. 

November  4. — Mr.  Vanderweyer,  one  of  the 
Belgian  Provisional  Government,  came  to  me. 
He  told  me  that  he  did  not  like  to  address 
himself  to  any  member  of  the  Government,  until 
he  was  sure  of  a  friendly  reception.  Accordingly 
I  spoke  to  Sir  George  Murray,  who  assured  me 
the  Government  felt  no  ill-will  to  the  Belgians, 
and  that  the  King's  Speech  did  not  mean  any 
ill-will  to  them. 

I  heard  this  evening  that  a  very  unpleasant 
feeling  was  rising  amongst  the  working-classes, 
and  that  the  shopkeepers  in  the  Metropolis  were 
so  much  alarmed  that  they  talked  of  arming 
themselves.  The  Duke  of  Wellington  was  not 
one  of  the  alarmists ;  on  the  contrary,  he  told 
Lord  Tweeddale  that  everything  would  end 
peaceably,  and  he  might  go  to  Scotland  if  he 
chose.  Lord  Tweeddale  told  this  to  me;  but 
said,  /'Notwithstanding  the  Duke's  opinion,  I 
shall  stay  here.  I  am  afraid  of  some  cata- 
strophe." 

I  heard  everywhere  that  a  great  change  had 
taken  place  in  public  opinion  since  the  meeting 
of  Parliament.  The  Duke  was  scarcely  safe  in 

VOL.  iv  8 


58  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

1830.    the     streets,    and     the     King's     popularity    was 
evidently  on  the  wane. 

FROM  DIARY. 

November  5. — I  went  to  the  House  of  Commons, 
and  on  Croker  taunting  O'Connell  for  not  having 
attacked  Ministers  on  the  address,  I  got  up  and 
told  my  mind  very  freely  of  the  unfortunate 
conduct  of  the  Government,  and  of  my  resolution 
now  to  oppose  them  systematically.  Peel  nodded 
his  head  and  cheered  me  when  I  said  I  was  no 
party  politician. 

November  6. — I  walked  about  with  Cornwall, 
son  of  the  Bishop  of  Hereford,  a  Ministerial  M.P. 
He  told  me  that  the  Government  were  taking 
extraordinary  measures  to  provide  against  the 
threatened  commotions  of  the  next  week.  Some 
of  the  treasure  had  been  removed  from  the 
Bank,  and  several  regiments  ordered  up  to 
London.  Many  special  constables  had  also  been 
sworn  in. 

Mr.  Cornwall  owned  to  me  that  his  friends 
had  been  very  indiscreet  in  denouncing  the 
Belgian  revolt  in  the  King's  Speech,  and  he 
disapproved  of  the  Duke's  declaration  against 
all  Reform.  Lord  Dudley  joined  us,  and  we 
soon  frightened  him  so  much  that  he  declared 
the  Government  had  lost  their  senses;  and  that 
the  Duke  of  Wellington,  by  refusing  the  franchise 
to  Birmingham,  had  done  more  to  promote  the 
cause  of  Heform  than  all  of  us  Reformers  put 


CHAP.  X.     HUME   AND   THE   MEANING   OF   WORDS         59 

together.  Saying  this,  "  he  went  away  sorrowing, 
for  he  had  great  possessions." 

I  went  to  Brooks's  and  heard  rumours  of  the 
Ministry  going  out.  Lord  Durham  spoke  to  me 
as  if  it  was  inevitable,  and  asked  me  whether 
I  would  take  office  under  Lord  Grey.  I  said 
that  a  Reforming  Ministry  might  he  joined  hy 
any  Reformer.  He  said  that  the  great  difficulty 
would  he  to  give  great  places  to  all,  and  that 
the  memhers  for  great  towns  would  expect  them. 
I  knew  what  he  meant,  but  said  nothing. 

I  dined  with  my  friend  David  Baillie  and  a 
large  mixed  party :  Lord  Lansdowne,  the  Knight 
of  Kerry,  Spring  Rice,  and  Pusey,  M.P. 

I  sat  next  to  Sir  James  Graham  and  had  much 
talk  with  him.  He  is  dreadfully  alarmed,  and 
thinks  a  revolution  almost  inevitable.  He  asked 
me  whether  I  thought  Joe  Hume  meant  mischief. 
I  said,  "No."  "What  then  did  he  mean  by 
advising  the  people  not  to  use  premature  force  ?  " 
said  Graham.  "  He  meant  nothing,"  said  I ;  "he 
did  not  know  the  meaning  of  the  word." 

People  seem  to  think  that  Ministers  will  be 
turned  out  on  the  Reform  question.  Lord 
Stafford  and  Lord  Talbot  have  declared  for  Re- 
form. The  potentates  begin  to  tremble  for  their 
acres. 

Lord  Lansdowne  told  me  that  the  Duchesse  de 

1  Joseph  Hume,  when  speaking  in  the  House  of  Commons,  often 
employed  wrong  phrases,  such  as  "  It  is  not  to  be  surprised  at " 
meaning  "  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at "  ;  also  "  He  is  liable  "  instead 
of  "He  lied." 


60  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

1830.  Berri  went  to  see  our  King  open  the  Parliament, 
and,  when  she  saw  Prince  Talleyrand's  carriage 
in  the  procession,  exclaimed,  "  Ah !  voila  le 
tricolor,"  like  a  lively  schoolgirl. 

November  7. — I  dined  at  Henry  Brougham's, 
and  I  met  there  Lord  Morpeth,  Sir  James  Graham, 
Mr.  Stanley  (Lord  Derby),  Mr.  Denmaii,  James 
Brougham,  Sir  James  Macdonald,  and  Lord 
Howick.  After  dinner  we  discussed  our  pro- 
ceedings on  Brougham's  Reform  motion,  fixed 
for  the  16th  of  November. 

We  agreed  that  Mr.  Littleton  of  Staffordshire 
should  be  requested  to  second  it.  Sir  James 
Graham  told  us  that  he  had  spoken  to  Lord 
Palmerston  as  to  the  line  that  he  and  his  friends 
would  take  on  the  question.  Eleven  of  that  party 
met  at  Lord  Palmerston's  house,  and  Graham  was 
informed  that  they  were  prepared  to  go  all  lengths, 
so  far  as  respected  turning  out  the  Government ; 
also  that  they  would  vote  for  enfranchising  the 
great  towns,  and  would  vote  for  Brougham's 
motion,  if  vaguely  worded.  As  to  my  motion  on 
Belgium  they  could  give  no  positive  answer. 

Just  before  going  away  I  ventured  to  expostu- 
late with  Brougham  on  his  eulogy  of  the  aristocracy, 
and  his  resolution  of  perishing  with  it.  I  begged 
him  to  have  recourse  to  no  such  topic  in  his 
Reform  speech,  not  because  the  sentiment  was 
incorrect,  but  because  the  people  did  not  like  to 
hear  one  of  their  principal  champions  re-echo 
the  language  of  the  corruptionists.  Brougham 


CHAP.  X.  NO   WHIG  61 

said  he  was  sincere  in  the  opinion.  I  replied  isao. 
that  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  matter,  the 
question  was  as  to  public  feeling.  Althorp 
douhted  whether  I  was  right,  I  insisted  as  to 
the  fact.  Graham  said,  if  so,  all  their  debates 
were  futile,  for  if  the  public  hated  the  aristocracy 
so  much  as  I  believed,  then  no  Parliamentary 
reform  would  be  satisfactory,  and  their  labours 
were  lost.  I  replied  that  the  fact  might  be  as 
he  stated,  but  still  we  were  to  do  what  was  right, 
and  not  to  risk  our  influence  by  untimely  ex- 
pressions such  as  I  objected  to.  By  degrees,  I 
think  what  I  said  had  some  effect,  for  Brougham 
promised  to  be  very  careful  about  such  phrases 
\for  the  future. 

I  left  Brougham  flattering  Stanley  by  a  re- 
monstrance against  his  silence  in  Parliament. 

N.B. — I  took  care  to  declare  more  than  once 
that  I  was  no  Whig. 

My  impression  was  that  these  men  are  utterly 
ignorant  of  the  state  of  the  country,  and  will 
persevere  deliberating  on  the  miseries  of  petty 
political  factions  till  the  storm  bursts  over  them, 
and  all  is  over  with  them  and  the  country. 

November  8. — The  King  does  not  dine  at  the 
Guildhall  to-morrow.  Oh  rare  !  Sir  Robert  Peel 
wrote  to  the  Lord  Mayor  yesterday,  saying : 

'  Prom  information  which  lias  been  recently 
received,  there  is  reason  to  apprehend  that,  not- 
withstanding the  devoted  loyalty  and  affection 
borne  to  His  Majesty  by  the  citizens  of  London, 


62  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

1830.  advantage  would  be  taken  of  an  occasion,  which 
must  naturally  assemble  a  vast  number  of  persons 
by  night,  to  create  tumult,  and  cause  confusion, 
and  thereby  endanger  the  lives  and  properties  of 
His  Majesty's  subjects." 

See  to  what  a  pass  a  few  foolish  words  have 
brought  the  Government  of  the  country! 

PROM  BOOK,  "  BECOLLECTIONS." 

I  went  to  Brooks's,  and  found  the  greatest 
consternation  prevailing  there.  No  one  knew 
what  to  think  of  this  proceeding,  nor  could  guess 
the  cause  of  it.  I  heard  that  the  City  was  in  an 
uproar,  and  that  the  funds  had  fallen  to  77  and 
a  half.  I  went  to  the  House  of  Commons.  It 
was  quite  full  of  members  and  strangers ;  but  the 
Treasury  bench  was  empty,  and  Brougham  began 
by  complaining  of  the  absence  of  Ministers,  and 
the  extraordinary  conduct  of  the  Government. 
Whilst  he  was  speaking  Peel  came  in,  looking 
very  pale.  Then  Lord  Althorp  rose,  and  asked 
him  for  an  explanation  of  his  letter  to  the  Lord 
Mayor.  Peel  answered,  and  read  a  letter  from 
the  Lord  Mayor  elect,  Alderman  Key,  informing 
the  Duke  of  Wellington  that  an  attack  would 
be  made  on  him  on  his  approaching  Guildhall. 
Here  Colonel  Davies  and  Mr.  Tennyson  broke  into 
a  horse  laugh,  on  which  Peel  stopped,  and  then 
exclaimed,  "  Good  God  !  is  it  come  to  this  ?  " 
and  he  then  went  on  to  state  that  Ministers  had 
received  information  which  induced  them  to 


CHAP.  X.  TROUBLE   IN   THE    CITY  63 

advise  His  Majesty  to  postpone  his  visit  to  the  isso. 
City.  The  excuse  was  very  ill  received ;  and 
Brougham,  in  a  speech  more  moderate  than  usual, 
pointed  out  the  absurdity  of  taking  so  serious  a 
step  upon  such  authority,  and  also  upon  the 
unfairness  of  making  the  King  suffer  from  the 
unpopularity  of  his  Ministers. 

Alderman  Waithman  then  rose,  and,  for  the 
first  time,  was  well  listened  to.  He  complained 
of  the  conduct  of  Ministers,  and,  to  the  surprise 
of  all,  told  the  House  that  the  communication  of 
Alderman  Key  was  not  authorised  by  the  Court 
of  Aldermen,  who  had  that  day  investigated  the 
probabilities  of  disturbance,  and  had  come  to  a 
unanimous  resolution  that  there  was  not  the 
slightest  cause  for  alarm,  or  the  least  chance  of 
mischief.  He  protested  that  the  King  was  most 
popular,  although  the  Ministers  were  unpopular. 
Alderman  Thompson  confirmed  Waithman 's  state- 
ment, and  read  a  resolution  which  the  Court  of 
Aldermen  had  passed  that  afternoon  to  the  same 
effect. 

This  angered  Peel,  who  said  Ministers  had  no 
reason  to  doubt  that  Aldermen  Key  and  Hunter, 
who  came  to  them,  were  authorised  to  say  what 
they  did.  Goulburn  spoke  very  ill  indeed,  and 
talked  of  Ministers  resigning,  with  satisfaction, 
if  the  House  did  not  support  them.  We  laughed, 
and  Sir  James  Graham  told  Goulburn  we  should 
choose  our  own  time  for  trying  our  strength  with 
the  Government.  He  concluded  a  good  speech 


64  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

1830.  by  exhorting  the  Duke  of  Wellington  to  resign 
at  once.  This  concluded  the  debate,  Ministers 
being  completely  discomfited,  and  looking  as  if 
on  the  verge  of  a  precipice. 

Then,  as  previously  agreed  upon,  Lord  Althorp 
rose  and  asked  me  to  defer  my  Belgian  motion. 
I  consented  ;  but  took  occasion  to  say  that  the 
Belgians  would  not  submit  to  any  dictation  as 
to  the  form  of  Government  they  might  choose. 
Peel  answered  me  pettishly,  and  denied  the  in- 
tention of  the  Cabinet  to  dictate  to  Belgium. 

Went  to  the  first  meeting  of  the  Geographical 
Society.  Lord  Goderich,  our  President,  made  the 
inaugural  speech. 

November  9  was  fixed  for  the  expected  insur- 
rection, which  some  thought  not  a  bad  substitute 
for  the  Lord  Mayor's  show.  Rumours  of  the 
resignation  of  Ministers  were  also  very  rife.  But 
there  happened  neither  insurrection  nor  resig- 
nation on  that  day,  although  there  were  great 
crowds  in  the  streets,  and  the  people  seemed 
resolved  upon  having  a  holiday. 

I  walked  about  some  time  with  Lord  Althorp, 
an  excellent  person,  too  good  for  a  party  man. 
He  told  me  that  he  should  retire  from  public 
life  the  moment  he  got  into  the  "  Hospital  for 
Incurables."  Lady  Spencer,  his  mother,  when 
some  one  told  her  that  "the  poor  were  rising 
against  the  rich,"  "  On  the  contrary,"  replied 
she,  "it  is  the  rich  that  are  rising  against  the 
poor."  Whatever  may  have  been  the  causes  of 


CHAP.  X.       VANDERWEYER   AND    WELLINGTON  65 

the  alarm,  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  it  was  isso. 
very  general.  Lady  Shrewsbury  told  my  wife 
that  the  Duchesse  de  Berri  said  to  her,  a  day  or 
two  ago,  that  the  people  of  England  were  mad; 
and  that,  if  our  Ministers  did  not  resist  all  Reform, 
England  would  soon  fall  into  the  same  wretched 
condition  as  Erance ! 

The  night  of  November  9  passed  off  quietly.  The 
new  police  acted  with  equal  vigour  and  prudence. 

November  11. — I  saw  Mr.  Vanderweyer,  who 
told  me  the  Duke  of  Wellington  had  written  to 
him  a  very  polite  note  asking  to  see  him.  He 
went,  and  was  much  surprised,  so  he  told  me, 
to  see  an  infirm  old  man  in  an  armchair,  from 
which  he  raised  himself  with  difficulty  to  receive 
him.  He  gave  me  an  account  of  what  passed 
between  them,  "Although,"  said  he,  "I  am  no 
diplomatist,  I  knew  there  was  an  advantage  in 
not  speaking  first ;  and,  as  the  Duke  had  invited 
me,  and  I  had  not  invited  myself,  I  remained 
silent.  So  did  the  Duke  for  a  short  time,  and 
then  began  to  talk. 

''  He  was  extremely  civil,  and  said,  ( Je  vous 
donne  ma  parole  d'honneur  qu'il  n'y  a  pas  la 
moindre  intention  de  notre  part  de  nous  meler 
dans  vos  affaires.'  He  also  said  that  he  '  hoped 
the  Belgians,  in  choosing  a  form  of  Government, 
would  take  care  not  to  give  cause  for  disquiet 
to  neighbouring  nations.'  I  answered  that  we 
should  take  care  of  that,  provided  there  was  no 
intervention." 

VOL.  iv  9 


66  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

1830.  Mr.  Vanderweyer  appeared  to  me  to  be  a  most 
amiable,  most  honourable,  and  most  intelligent 
man;  and  five-and-thirty  years  of  intercourse 
with  him  have  not  altered  the  opinion  that  I 
then  formed  of  him. 

November  14. — I  met  Admiral  Sir  Edward 
Codrington,  and  he  gave  me  an  account  of  his 
recent  interview  with  the  Emperor  Nicholas.  I 
confess  I  was  a  little  startled  at  his  report  of  a 
conversation  with  His  Majesty,  relative  to  the 
recent  revolution  in  France.  The  Emperor  asked 
him  what  he  thought  of  the  conduct  of  the  Duke 
of  Orleans.  Codrington  said  it  had  saved  France 
from  anarchy.  The  Emperor  replied  that  the 
Duke  of  Orleans  had  only  one  line  of  conduct 
to  adopt — namely,  to  follow  the  fortunes  of  the 
King.  "  Had  he  done  so,"  said  the  Admiral, 
"there  would  have  been  another  Revolution  of 
1793."  The  Emperor  Nicholas  rejoined,  "Well! 
perhaps  it  would  have  been  better  if  there  had 
been."  Codrington  on  this  remarked  "  that 
there  might  be  two  opinions  on  that  matter"; 
and  so  the  conversation  ended.  On  a  little  re- 
flection I  was  not  much  surprised  that  an 
Emperor  of  Russia  should  prefer  any  revolution 
to  a  family  revolution. 

November  15. — Belgium  and  Reform  were  put 
out  of  our  heads  by  the  events  of  this  day,  when 
Sir  Henry  Parnell  moved  to  refer  the  Civil  List 
to  a  Committee.  We  divided.  Whilst  in  the 
lobby  Brougham  addressed  us,  and  begged  us, 


CHAP. x.  "THE  GAME  WAS  UP"  67 

in  case  we  were  beaten,  to  stay  and  try  another  isao. 
question.  Whigs,  Radicals,  Huskisson's  friends, 
and  ultra-Tories  combined  and  numbered  233  to 
204.  When  these  numbers  were  announced  there 
was  some  cheering,  not  much.  I  rose,  and 
unwisely  asked  Ministers  "  whether  they  intended 
to  resign  " ;  but  Brougham,  in  a  friendly  way, 
interfering,  said  a  few  words,  and  Parnell  named 
his  Committee. 

FROM  DIARY. 

November  16. — The  gossip  at  Brooks's  is  that 
the  Duke  of  Wellington  told  Holmes  last  night 
that  "the  game  was  up."  A  very  rainy  day. 
As  Lord  North  said,  "  Not  a  day  to  turn  a  dog 
out." 

I  went  down  to  the  House  of  Commons 
a  little  before  3— found  it  very  full,  and  the 
gallery  overflowing — various  rumours.  Althorp 
told  me  that  some  one  in  the  Court  of  Chancery 
this  morning  had  heard  the  Chancellor  say, 
'  We  are  out."  Some  of  the  official  people, 
not  Cabinet  Ministers,  came  in,  looking  as  if 
on  the  verge  of  dismissal.  Sheriffs  of  London 
and  Middlesex  came  to  the  Bar  with  a  Petition 
about  London  Bridge  and  Reform  of  Parlia- 
ment. Peel  entered,  looking  very  pale  indeed, 
and  talked  with  the  Speaker.  Alderman  Wood 
made  a  tiresome  speech  about  the  City  Feast 
and  Reform  of  Parliament ;  when  Peel  rose, 
and  said  that  his  great  respect  for  the  House 


68  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

1830.  induced  him  to  take  the  earliest  opportunity  of 
announcing  that,  in  consequence  of  the  occurrence 
of  last  night,  he  had  waited  on  the  King  and 
tendered  his  resignation,  which  His  Majesty  had 
heen  graciously  pleased  to  accept.  He  added 
that  all  his  colleagues  had  pursued  the  same 
course.  He  then  sat  down :  not  a  word  was 
said ;  no  cheers,  nor  signs  either  of  joy  or  sorrow. 
Lord  Althorp  then  rose,  and,  in  a  few  solemn 
phrases,  asked  Brougham  to  put  off  his  motion 
on  Parliamentary  Reform.  Brougham  rose,  and 
with  equal  gravity  protested  that  it  was  quite 
against  his  private  wishes  and  opinions  to  defer 
his  motion  ;  and  he  added  these  words,  which  he, 
or  some  friend,  has  taken  care  to  send  to  the 
Times  :  "  As  no  change  that  may  take  place  in 
the  Administration  can  by  any  possibility  affect 
me,  I  beg  it  to  be  understood  that,  in  putting  off 
the  motion,  I  will  put  it  off  until  the  25th  of 
the  month,  and  no  longer.  I  will  then,  and  at 
no  more  distant  period,  bring  forward  the  question 
of  Parliamentary  Reform,  whatever  may  be  the 
condition  of  circumstances,  and  whoever  may  be 
His  Majesty's  Ministers."  On  hearing  this,  I 
said  to  Denman,  "  What  the  deuce  does  the  man 
mean  ?  You  know  as  well  as  I  do  that  he  was 
for  putting  off  the  motion  last  night."  Denman 
replied :  "I  confess  I  can't  understand  this  sort 
of  thing.  He  told  me  this  morning  there  could 
be  no  doubt  about  the  matter."  I  asked  Brougham 
himself  how  he  could  have  any  doubts  as  to  the 


CHAP.  X.     END    OF    THE   WELLINGTON    MINISTRY  69 

necessity   of   delay.     He   only  laughed,  and   said     isso. 
something  evasive. 

Lord  Blandford  and  I  were  talking  together, 
just  as  Brougham  crossed  us,  of  the  propriety 
of  deferring  the  motion,  and  Blandford  heard 
Brougham  say,  "  I  will  not  let  my  motion  be 
made  the  stepping-stone  of  a  party." 

Now  I  am  confident  that  Brougham  and 
Althorp  had  settled  the  whole  arrangement  be- 
forehand. As  to  B.'s  not  being  affected  by  the 
change  of  Administration,  I  presume  he  means 
that  his  motion  will  not  be  affected,  yet  the 
words  do  not  convey  that  precise  meaning.  He 
is  a  strange  creature,  and  has  done  more  to  turn 
out  the  Ministry  than  any  ten  men  besides. 

Peel  very  unnecessarily  corrected  Althorp's 
expression  of  there  being  no  Administration  in 
the  country,  and  said  he  should  do  his  duty 
until  his  successor  was  appointed.  We  gave  a 
cheer  just  out  of  candour,  and  then  began  to 
break  up,  leaving  Waithman  talking  about  Reform. 

The  Duke  of  Wellington  made  a  similar 
announcement  in  the  Lords,  being  scarcely  audible, 
and  retired  immediately  afterwards. 

SO   ENDS   THE   WELLINGTON   ADMINISTRATION. 

Their  partisans  say  they  will  soon  return  to 
office ;  I  think  not.  To  me  this  appears  "  le 
commencement  de  la  fin,"  as  Talleyrand  said 
of  Buonaparte's  defeat  in  Russia. 


70  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

1830.  That  Peel  may  come  in  again  is  very  likely 
indeed,  but  the  Duke's  age  and  his  unpopularity 
will  render  it  very  inadvisable  to  place  him 
again  at  the  head  of  any  Administration,  except 
it  shall  be  resolved  to  run  all  chances  and  play 
the  Polignac  game  here,  which  is  not  quite  out 
of  the  question,  for  if  any  Reform  shall  be  obtained 
the  people  will  feel  their  force,  and  will  at  last 
frighten  the  whole  body  of  the  aristocracy  into  des- 
perate measures.  At  least  this  is  not  altogether 
off  the  cards.  For  the  present  a  mixed  Adminis- 
tration will  be  chosen.  Lord  Grey  has  been  sent 
for,  and  he  will  be  Prime  Minister  I  suppose. 

November  17. — I  find  that  folks  aiv  angry  with 
me  for  pushing  Ministers  on  Monday  night. 
Tavistock  told  me  at  Brooks 's  that  he  had  been 
defending  me,  and  had  quoted  Eox,  who  called 
the  Administration  that  was  outvoted  about 
Melville's  trial,  a  disgraced  Administration. 

Now  I  know  friend  Tavistock  very  well,  and 
am  aware  that,  with  all  his  good  qualities,  he  is 
not  ill  read  in  the  "school  for  scandal."  'Tis 
rather  too  hard  the  Whigs  should  affect  to  be 
angry  with  me;  that  the  other  side  should  I 
can  well  understand,  and  they  are  shy  enough. 

November  18. — Burdett  saw  Lord  Grey  yester- 
day, and  was  much  pleased  with  his  frankness, 
promising  Reform  and  all  good  things  as  the 
basis  of  his  Administration. 

I  went  down  to  the  House  of  Commons,  and 
found  the  expiring  Ministers  in  their  places 


CHAP.  X.  THE   NEW   GOVERNMENT  71 

attending  to  a  discussion  on  the  new  police  force.     1830. 
This   is   one   of   Peel's  creations,  and  he  seemed 
much    pleased    with    the    testimonies     in     their 
favour. 

November  19. — At  Brooks's,  where  our  friends 
were  handing  about  a  list  of  the  new  Administra- 
tion. Brougham  Lord  Chancellor ! !  Reform  of 
Parliament,  Anti-Slavery,  Law  Reform,  Useful 
Knowledge  Society,  Edinburgh  Review,  Sublime 
Society  of  Beef  Steaks,  hail  and  farewell !  !  But 
it  is  believed,  and  people  seem  glad  to  get  rid  of 
my  learned  friend  from  the  House  of  Commons. 
He  came.  We  set  up  a  shout,  and  he  soon  went 
away. 

Of  all  the  rumoured  nominations,  Sir  J.  Graham, 
Eirst  Lord  of  the  Admiralty  strikes  me  as  the 
most  preposterous. 

Lord  Durham  (the  Privy  Seal)  had  a  long  talk 
with  me,  and  said  all  was  going  on  well  and 
nearly  settled. 

He  assured  me  that  Lord  Grey  based  his  Ad- 
ministration on  Reform  of  Parliament,  and  next 
on  retrenchment.  He  would  not  have  useless 
placemen  for  the  sake  of  influence.  In  that  case  I 
told  him  if  Lord  Grey  was  turned  out  in  a  month 
he  would  come  in  again  in  a  month.  I  told 
Durham  they  should  get  some  friend  of  Govern- 
ment to  put  off  Brougham's  Reform  motion,  and 
take  it  up  as  a  Government  measure.  He  said, 
"Thank  you;  it  is  a  very  good  thought."  My 
Lord  is  acting  the  Cabinet  Minister  already. 


72  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

1830.     Indeed,  I  hear  tljat  he  has  ordered  his  Windsor 
uniform  and  two  or  three  additional  footmen. 

November  21. — Tavistock  tells  me  that  Holland 
House  is  alive  with  talk.  Lady  Holland  and 
Allen  are  distributing  the  Church  patronage  of 
the  Duchy  of  Lancaster  already,  and  act  and 
think  as  if  they  were  in  the  days  of  the  Pelhams 
and  Walpoles,  with  perfect  tranquillity  and  self- 
complacency. 

Very  different  are  the  sights  and  sounds  in 
the  country.  Pour  or  five  counties  are  in  a  blaze, 
and  The  Grange,  Alexander  Baring's  mansion, 
has  been  all  but  taken  by  storm,  and  Bingham 
Baring,  attempting  to  seize  a  rioter,  knocked 
down  by  a  sledge-hammer. 

PROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

November  22. — -At  the  House  of  Commons  this 
day  the  old  Ministers  took  their  seats  on  the 
Opposition  benches — Peel,  Hardinge,  Calcraft, 
Scarlett,  and  all.  I  ascended  to  my  mountain 
behind  them,  with  Hume,  Warburton,  John  Wood, 
Marshall,  and  a  few  others  of  the  same  stamp. 

I  went  to  the  House  of  Lords  to  see  Brougham. 
There  was  a  great  crowd  on  the  steps  of  the 
Throne  and  below  the  Bar — men  and  women.  At 
five  o'clock,  whilst  I  was  talking  with  the 
Swedish  Minister,  some  one  said,  "  There  he  is !  " 
and,  looking  round,  I  saw  my  Lord  had  stepped 
in,  almost  unobserved,  and  had  taken  his  seat 
on  the  Woolsack. 


CHAP.  X.          BROUGHAM   ON   THE   WOOLSACK  73 

I  heard  Lord  Grey  speak.  He  made  a  declara-  isso. 
tion  of  the  principles  on  which  his  Government 
was  formed — very  fair  and  explicit,  so  it  seemed 
to  me.  Brougham  was  the  observed  of  all — pre- 
siding in  an  assembly  of  dignitaries,  spiritual 
and  temporal,  whom  he  had  for  a  quarter  of  a 
century  endeavoured  to  render  contemptible.  He 
did  not  look  quite  comfortable,  nor  know  what 
to  do.  I  heard  him  turn  to  his  pursebearer  and 
say,  "  What  am  I  to  say  ?  "  Lord  Lyndhurst 
walked  up  to  the  Woolsack  and  shook  hands 
with  the  new  Chancellor;  not  quite  cordially, 
I  thought. 

I  returned  to  the  House  of  Commons,  and 
heard  a  discussion  on  the  state  of  the  country. 
Baring  made  no  secret  of  his  great  alarm;  and 
Peel  said  that  every  man  should  be  prepared  to 
fight  for  his  property,  which  sounded  rather 
oddly  to  those  who  knew  what  sums  we  paid 
for  the  protection  of  our  lives  and  properties 
by  the  Government. 

The  alarm  became  more  general  and  more 
serious  every  day.  The  news  from  Wiltshire  was 
very  bad,  and  riotous  assemblages  in  Hampshire 
had  been  dispersed  and  eighty  prisoners  made 
by  a  military  manoeuvre,  the  credit  of  which 
was  given  to  no  less  a  personage  than  the  Duke 
of  Wellington,  with  what  truth  I  knew  not. 
But,  in  spite  of  these  unhappy  disturbances,  the 
course  of  life  in  London  ran  pretty  much  as 
usual. 

VOL.  iv  10 


74  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

PROM  DIARY. 

November  25. — I  had  a  long  talk  with  Burdett 
about  the  state  of  the  country.  He  is  for  strong 
measures,  such  as  declaring  the  counties  out  of 
the  King's  peace,  re-enacting  the  Alien  Act 
against  foreigners,  who  are  supposed  to  be  at 
the  bottom  of  the  burnings,  etc.  And,  above 
all,  arm  the  householders. 

November  26. — I  hear  that  Brougham,  in  a 
judgment  delivered  in  Chancery,  has  hinted 
that  his  new  character  will  preclude  him  from 
his  previous  convivial  habits. 

November  28. — At  the  Society  for  the  Diffusion 
of  Useful  Knowledge.  My  Lord  Chancellor 
Brougham  and  Vaux,  the  chairman,  came  and 
transacted  business  as  usual,  with  much  speed 
and  accuracy.  The  company,  consisting  of  some 
of  the  most  scientific  men  in  the  kingdom, 
seemed  proud  of  their  patron  and  founder. 
Indeed,  it  is  somewhat  a  wonderful  sight  to  see 
such  a  man  in  such  a  place. 

November  29. — I  had  a  long  talk  with  Place 
on  the  state  of  the  country.  He  thinks  a 
revolution  inevitable.  The  farmers  of  Kent  and 
Sussex  have  for  the  most  part  acceded  to  the 
demands  of  the  labourers,  and  will  pay  so  long 
as  they  can.  When  they  cannot,  the  parson  and 
the  landlord  will  be  obliged  to  contribute.  The 
first  will  be  treated  with  the  least  ceremony. 

November  30. — Went  to  the  Royal  Society's 
chambers,  where  the  Presidency  was  contested 


ELIZABETH,   THIRD   LADY   HOLLAND. 

From  the  ^picture  "by  Robert  Fagan  at  Holland  House.    By  kind  permission  of 
Mary,  Countess  of  Ilchester. 


[P.  75 


CHAP.  X.  LORD    AND    LADY    HOLLAND  75 

between  Herschel  and  the  Duke  of  Sussex.     The     isso. 
merits   of    the   candidates   seem   to   he   that   the 
first  has  no  quality  hut   one — science  ;    the   last 
has  every  quality  but  one — science.     I  voted  for 
the  Duke,  who  carried  the  election  only  by  nine. 

December  3. — A  deputation  from  the  Metro- 
politan parishes  waited  on  me  respecting  my 
Vestry  Bill,  the  essentia1  clause  of  which  dis- 
pleases them,  so  all  my  labour  has  been  in  vain. 
This  is  the  fate  of  most  men  who  try  to  reconcile 
contending  interests.  Thankless  Metropolis  !  My 
bones  shall  not  rest  in  either  of  your  cemeteries  ! 

December  4. — Lord  Tavistock  told  meat  Brooks's 
yesterday  that  he  was  going  to  Lord  Althorp 
to  propose  that  not  less  than  one  hundred  seats 
shall  be  remodelled  by  the  proposed  Reform. 
He  says  that  Althorp  wants  encouragement,  as 
he  stands  almost  alone  in  the  Cabinet,  so  far 
as  efficient  Reform  is  concerned.  I  fear  so. 

December  10. — Called  on  Lord  Holland.  Saw 
him  and  his  awful  lady.  I  thought  he  had 
rather  a  ministerial  air;  he  talked  of  Cabinets 
and  messengers  in  waiting,  and  was  more  than 
usually  reserved.  We  had  a  few  words  about 
Reform,  which  seemed  to  alarm  Lady  Holland, 
but  my  Lord  confessed  the  time  was  come  and 
it  must  be  done.  He  told  me  that  the  Duke 
of  Wellington  last  night  in  the  Lords  completely 
let  out  the  "  malus  animus"  against  proceedings 
in  France,  talking  of  misfortune  and  bad  example, 
of  events  of  last  summer  to  which  he  sagely 


76 


LONDON  CHAP.  X. 


1830.  attributed  the  disturbances  in  England.  That 
and  his  complaint  of  the  procession  of  Trades 
parading  to  the  Palace  on  "Wednesday  last  are 
very  little  to  his  honour. 

December  11. — Walked  about  with  Burdett, 
who  tells  me  that  a  story  goes  of  Lady  Jersey 
having  told  the  Queen  that  in  the  present 
Cabinet  there  is  not  one  man  who  has  any 
religion.  What  did  my  Lady  think  of  the  Duke 
of  Wellington's  religion  ? 

December  13. — I  attended  Parliament,  and,  in 
a  short  speech,  made  a  sort  of  profession  of 
faith.  I  pointed  out  to  the  new  Ministers  the 
necessity  of  listening  to  the  people,  and  not 
taking  the  advice  of  those  false  or  foolish  friends 
who  daily  urged  the  propriety  of  keeping  up 
establishments  and  continuing  high  salaries — e.g. 
Ridley  Colborne,  who  compared  the  public  to  a 
"  great  gentleman."  I  said  that  I  could  not 
doubt  of  the  good  intentions  of  Ministers,  particu- 
larly Althorp,  Russell,  and  Denman,  who  were 
opposite ;  and  promised,  if  they  continued  as  they 
had  begun,  my  "  cordial  support." 

Warburton  and  Hume  told  me  I  had  made  a 
very  good  speech.  I  did  not  care  about  good  or  bad 
so  far  as  speaking  went,  but  I  felt  a  sincere  wish  to 
praise,  and  by  praising  uphold  and  encourage  the 
Ministers,  without  any  sacrifice  of  old  principles. 

FROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS.  " 

December  15. — I   heard  at  the  House  of  Com- 


CHAP.  x.      COBBETT'S  STATE  OF  AFFECTION  77 

mons  that  Henry  Hunt  was  a  good  deal  ahead  isso. 
of  Mr.  Stanley,  the  new  Irish  Secretary,  at 
Preston.  And  why  was  this  ?  Because,  as  I 
was  told,  Mr.  Stanley  would  not  pledge  himself 
to  vote  against  the  Corn  Laws  and  for  the  Ballot. 
Now,  although  opinions  might  differ  about  these 
proposals,  there  ought  to  be  no  difference  of 
opinion  about  pledges,  nor  about  the  manliness 
which  dictates  a  refusal  to  give  them. 

In  days  of  commotion  and  difficulty,  public 
writers  and  public  talkers  are  often  more  bitter 
against  individuals  than  against  Governments  and 
parties.  Of  this,  in  the  days  of  which  I  am 
writing,  I  had  a  good  proof ;  for  Cobbett  was 
much  more  savage  against  myself  than  against 
the  Ministers,  and  against  individuals  in  office 
than  against  the  Cabinet.  He  said,  or  wrote, 
that  "  he  hated  Stanley  more  than  any  one 
living ;  except  Sidmouth  and  his  gang,  and 
Burdett  and  Hobhouse." 

The  tone  of  some  of  our  friends  was  also  not 
at  all  agreeable.  Dr.  Bowring  went  so  far  as 
to  tell  me  that  he  did  not  think  our  revolution 
coming — he  thought  it  had  come. 

Parliament  dissolved  till  February  3. 

EROM  DIARY. 

December  18. — -I  dined  at  Lord  Lansdowne's, 
with  some  thirteen  or  fourteen  good  people,  and 
found  very  little  apprehension  of  anything 
happening. 


78  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

Lord  Lansdowne  told  me  he  had  rather  bad 
news  from  "Wiltshire.  The  farmers  had  begun 
to  back  out  of  their  compulsory  bargains  with 
the  labourer. 

Edward  Ellice  confessed  to  me  to-day  that 
he  thought  the  Ministers  ought  to  dissolve  the 
Parliament  and  appeal  to  the  people  at  once. 
I  assented  most  decidedly.  He  says  Lord  Grey 
and  Althorp  take  everything  very  quietly  and  look 
at  the  best  side  of  all  matters,  but  he  apprehends 
a  convulsion. 

December  20. — At  House  of  Commons.  Peel 
made  a  strange  speech,  half  reproving  his  friends 
for  indiscreet  attacks  on  the  new  Ministry,  and 
half  attacking  those  Ministers  for  arrogating  to 
themselves  principles  which  the  late  Govern- 
ment carried  so  admirably  into  effect,  e.g.  re- 
trenchment and  peace.  He  spoke  equivocally  of 
the  conduct  of  the  French.  Hume  answered 
him  well,  which  angered  Sir  Robert,  who  said 
he  had  not  condemned  the  resistance  of  the 
French,  but  had  only  said  that  revolutions  were 
bad  when  best.  Funds  had  fallen  to  57  at  Paris. 
What  a  sublime  discovery ! 

December  24*. — Great  alarms  at  Paris.  Polignac 
and  the  others  condemned  to  perpetual  imprison- 
ment. The  people  dissatisfied  and  moving  in 
great  masses,  but  the  National  Guard  and 
Lafayette,  and  more  than  all,  the  King,  by 
going  amongst  the  people,  quieted  them. 

December    25. — Ministers    have    been    unwise 


CHAP.  X.  THE   BELGIAN   QUESTION  79 

enough  to  order  a  form  of  prayer  to  allay  the  isso. 
troubles  in  various  parts  of  the  country;  although, 
when  Spencer  Perceval  gave  notice  of  an  address 
to  the  King  to  order  a  general  fast  for  the  same 
object,  the  other  night,  there  was  a  horse  laugh. 
Why  should  Ministers  think  the  people  greater 
fools  than  the  Parliament  ? 

December  26. — I  had  a  talk  with  Sir  James 
Graham,  who  asked  me  what  I  thought  of 
public  feeling,  as  he  had  heard  me  quoted  for 
an  unfavourable  opinion  on  that  score.  I  told 
him  what  I  thought,  and  strongly  recommended 
a  dissolution  of  Parliament.  "  What,"  said  he, 
"  then  we  are  come  too  late,  you  think  ? "  A 
day  or  two  afterwards  Sir  James  spoke,  and 
announced  that  "  Parliament  would  not  be  dis- 
solved until  Ministers  had  learnt  the  feeling 
of  the  present  House  of  Commons.  If  that 
should  prove  to  be  against  them,  they  would 
appeal  to  the  people."  Sir  George  Clerk  sagely 
observed  that,  "  Perhaps  the  present  Ministers 
might  not  have  it  in  their  power  to  do  so,  as 
there  were  two  words  to  that  bargain." 

January     15,     1831. — I     had     a     visit     from     1831. 
Vanderweyer.     He    had    seen    Lord    Grey,    who 
appeared   to   have   a    liking    for    the    Prince   of 
Orange,    and   asked   whether   it   was   possible   to 
make  him   King  of   the    Belgians.     "  Certainly," 
replied  Vanderweyer,  "  with  another  Revolution— 
without   it,   not ;    and,    if    chosen,   he   would   be 
shot  out  of   a  window.     There   are   eleven   thou- 


80  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

1831.  sand  volunteers  who  have  sworn  the  death  of 
any  prince  of  the  Nassau  family  who  might  be 
placed  over  them." 

January  18. — Dined  at  Warre's,  at  Cambridge's 
house,  in  Twickenham  meadows.  Sir  R.  Inglis 
there.  He  seems  to  think  all  our  troubles,  and 
amongst  them  the  cry  for  Reform,  will  subside 
quietly,  and  the  old  Tory  principles  and  practices 
finally  prevail.  If  he  should  turn  out  to  be 
right,  what  blunderers  we  are  ? 

January  21. — A  letter  from  Mrs.  Kennedy, 
widow  of  Dr.  Kennedy,  whose  religious  con- 
versations with  Lord  Byron  have  been  pub- 
lished. This  insolent  epistle  is  likely  to  add 
to  the  thousand  and  one  squabbles  which  my 
intimacy,  and,  I  may  add,  my  honest  and  dis- 
interested friendship  for  Byron,  have  entailed 
upon  me. 

The  woman  is  angry  with  me  for  discouraging 
her  from  publishing  the  catch-penny  conversa- 
tions above  mentioned :  I  knowing  from  Lord 
Sidney  Osborne  that  Byron  was  playing  upon 
Dr.  Kennedy,  whom  he  used  to  call  Saint 
Kennedy,  in  order  to  distinguish  him  from 
another,  a  very  good  fellow,  whom  he  called 
Sinner  Kennedy. 

January  28. — The  day  fixed  for  the  Belgians 
to  choose  a  King,  occurrences  which  now  cease 
to  make  us  stare.  The  Poles  and  Russians  seem 
about  to  begin  their  mortal  strife. 

January   31. — Finished   the   second  volume   of 


CHAP.  X.  MOORE'S   LIFE   OF   BYRON  81 

Moore's  Life  of  Byron,  and  am  now  more  pleased  issi. 
than  ever  with  the  resolution  taken  by  me,  of  not 
contributing  to  that  work.  Nevertheless,  it  pre- 
sents a  tolerably  fair  picture  of  Lord  Byron's  real 
character,  and  some  of  Moore's  observations  are 
exceedingly  just  and  conveyed  in  appropriate 
language.  That  the  letters  and  journals  raise 
Lord  Byron  in  public  estimation  as  a  man  of 
talent,  no  one  will  be  foolish  enough  to  assert. 
What  then  has  this  publication  achieved  ?  It 
has  put  £3,500  at  least  into  the  pocket  of 
T.  Moore.  Murray,  the  publisher,  says  that  he 
gave  Tom  Moore  £6,000  for  the  work;  but  that 
sum  must  include  expenses  for  purchasing 
materials. 

February  1. — Received  an  invitation  from  Lord 
Althorp  to  dine  with  him  at  a  Parliamentary 
dinner  on  February  2.  Determined  not  to  go, 
as  I  considered  it  a  meeting  of  Members  notori- 
ously supporting  the  Administration,  amongst 
which  number  I  do  not  choose  to  be  ranked.  I 
am  a  friend  but  no  follower,  nor  ought  a  Member 
for  Westminster  to  be ;  so  I  wrote  to  Lord 
Althorp  and  told  him  that  my  absence  in  the 
country  would  prevent  me  having  the  honour 
of  dining  with  him.  So  long  as  I  am  indepen- 
dent I  will  be  wholly  so !  Erom  one  or  two 
observations  I  have  made,  I  feel  certain  that 
the  Ministers  or  their  retainers  would  be  glad 
enough  to  secure  me  or  any  one  by  the  cheapest 
of  favours. 

VOL.    IV  11 


82  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

1831.  February  3. — I  went  to  the  House  of  Commons 
at  four  o'clock,  and  found  it  so  full  that  I  was 
scarcely  able  to  get  a  place. 

Lord  Althorp  announced  that  Lord  J.  Russell 
would  bring  forward  the  Cabinet  Reform  on 
March  1,  and  that  it  would  be  "full  and 
effectual  ";  also  that  the  Ministers,  one  and  all, 
were  agreed  upon  the  measure.  Here  is  an 
answer  to  the  taunt  that  ten  men  cannot  be 
found  agreeing  in  one  plan.  The  House  seemed 
more  Ministerial  than  before  the  recess. 

I  walked  away  early  with  Tavistock,  who  told 
me  as  a  most  inviolable  secret  that,  of  all  the 
Cabinet,  Brougham  was  the  one  and  only  one 
who  was  afraid  that  the  Reform  Measure  was  going 
too  far.  He  said  there  would  be  no  seat  left  for 
"  a  clever  young  lawyer."  However,  like  a  clever 
old  lawyer,  now  that  the  measure  is  resolved  upon, 
he  takes  care  to  have  it  given  out  he  originated  it. 
Tavistock  said,  had  the  King  stood  out  against  the 
measure,  Brougham  would  have  gone  round.  The 
King  told  Lord  Holland  the  other  day  that  he  had 
a  conversation  of  three  hours  with  Lord  Grey  on 
the  subject,  and  was  never  better  pleased  in 
his  life. 

February  7. — The  Civil  List  scheme  is  not  well 
received.  I  had  a  talk  with  Sir  Henry  Hardinge, 
who  said  that  a  general  war  was  inevitable,  and 
that  either  all  the  thrones  of  Europe  would  fall, 
or  Paris  would  be  a  third  time  taken.  This  shows 
the  Duke  of  Wellington's  feeling  as  strongly  as 


CHAP.  X.       ec  AS   NINEVEH    WAS    SAVED    OF    OLD  "         83 

his  declaration  against  Reform,  which  Hardinge 
defended  as  the  only  line  to  be  taken  by  a  sincere 
statesman  who  thought  the  Monarchy  incompatible 
with  Reform. 

Prom  some  conversation  I  had  with  Peregrine 
Courtenay,1  I  see  that  Reform  will  be  opposed  at 
all  hazards.  P.  Courtenay  talked  of  his  having 
lost  his  domestic  comforts  by  being  out  of  office. 
To  be  sure,  who  wonders  at  his  anxiety  to  resist 
Reform. 

FROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

February  8. — Mr.  Henry  Hunt  proposed  to 
address  the  Crown  for  a  reprieve  for  the  convicts 
sentenced  under  the  Special  Commission  for  trying 
the  rioters  in  the  country.  This  called  forth  a 
wild,  disorderly  speech  from  O' Gorman  Mahon, 
but  Althorp,  who  answered  the  Irish  declaimer, 
said  he  preferred  civil  war  to  the  dismemberment 
of  the  Empire. 

On  this  day  Mr.  Spencer  Perceval,  who  had 
given  notice  of  a  motion  for  addressing  the  Crown 
to  appoint  a  day  of  fasting  and  humiliation,  told 
me  he  "  believed  that  such  a  supplication  might 
bring  down  on  us  a  special  interposition  of  Provi- 
dence in  our  favour,  just  as  Nineveh  was  saved 
of  old."  Eeeling  how  much  we  English  are 
indebted  to  fanaticism  for  our  liberties,  1  did  not 
smile  at  this;  but  in  after  days,  when  better 

1  Thomas  Peregrine  Courtenay,  M.P,  for  Totnes,  Vice-President 
of  the  Board  of  Trade, 


84  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

1831.  acquainted  with  this  gentleman,  I  became  con- 
vinced that,  on  such  subjects,  he  was  not  of  sound 
mind,  although  on  all  others  perfectly  rational. 

FROM  DIARY. 

February  12.— Read  the  Budget.  See  that  the 
Ministers'  project  of  taxing  transfers  of  stock  is 
furiously  opposed  as  a  breach  of  faith.  I  should 
not  wonder  if  Lord  Althorp  was  obliged  to  give 
up  that  scheme.  The  reduction  of  the  newspaper 
tax  very  good,  but  might  be  better.  To  my  mind, 
a  graduated  property  tax  would  be  preferable, 
and  I  shall  say  so. 

February  13. — Lord  Althorp  has  again  asked 
me  to  a  Ministerial  dinner,  which  I  again  think 
it  better  to  decline. 

February  14. — The  tax  on  transfers  given  up. 
Attended  debate  on  finance.  Althorp  announced 
his  intention  to  give  up  the  tax,  as  also  to  abandon 
the  reduction  of  Tobacco  Duties.  Several  other 
parts  of  his  scheme  attacked,  and  likely  to  be 
given  up  also.  This  shows  the  imprudence  of 
having  delayed  Reform.  Lord  Tavistock  told  me 
that  his  brother  John  urged  the  necessity  of 
bringing  on  the  great  question  early,  and  the 
17th  of  this  month  was  fixed,  but  the  Cabinet 
changed  the  day. 

EROM  BOOK,  "RECOLLECTIONS." 

February  15. — I  attended  the  Committee  on 
the  reduction  of  official  salaries.  Lord  Chancellor 


CHAP.  X.      REVOLUTION   IN   THE   PAPAL   STATES  85 

Brougham  was  examined  at  his  own  request.  He 
came  into  the  room  with  the  Mace  and  the  Great 
Seal,  and,  when  seated,  put  on  his  hat.  He  told 
us  that  his  colleagues  in  the  Cabinet  had  obliged 
him  to  change  his  mode  of  living.  He  had  wished 
to  continue  in  his  house  in  Hill  Street,  hut  had 
been  forced  to  go  into  a  larger  house  in  Berkeley 
Square;  also  that,  instead  of  his  one  chariot,  he 
had  now  two  coaches  and  two  chariots,  in  spite 
of  his  earnest  remonstrance.  When  speaking  of 
the  retiring  pension  given  to  ex-Chancellors,  he 
said  he  wished  to  God  he  could  be  dispeered  by 
Act  of  Parliament,  and  return  to  his  profession ; 
but,  as  that  could  not  be,  he  had  thought  of  a 
scheme  for  increasing  the  retiring  salary,  and 
giving  the  ex-Minister  something  to  do.  Peel 
was  very  cool  and  solemn,  and,  as  usual  with 
him,  flirted  with  Acts  of  Parliament. 

At  this  time  we  had  news  of  revolutions,  or 
attempts  at  revolution,  in  the  Papal  States  and 
Modena.  To  one  of  these  commotions  England 
owes  the  very  best  Librarian  that  ever  presided 
over  the  literature  of  the  British  Museum. 

FROM  DIARY. 

February  15. — Made  a  speech,  and  not  a  bad 
one,  on  the  extravagant  tastes  of  the  late  King, 
and  the  enormous  expense  of  Windsor  Castle. 
Althorp  and  Lord  John  Russell  spoke  very 
honestly. 

February  17. — I  dined  in  Berkeley  Square,  and 


86  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

1831.  was  too  late  at  the  House  of  Commons  to  bring 
on  my  Vestry  Bill,  the  only  time  I  was  ever 
too  late  in  my  life.  A  sad  business  ! 

February  23. — The  Finance  schemes  of  Ministers 
are  universally  decried,  and  were  it  not  for 
Brougham's  Chancery  Reform  and  the  expected 
Parliamentary  Reform,  would  turn  them  out. 

PROM  BOOK,  "RECOLLECTIONS." 

February  24. — This  day  I  was  witness  to  a 
scene  in  the  House  of  Commons  the  like  of 
which,  I  believe,  has  never  occurred  either  before 
or  since.  After  a  skirmish  between  Stanley  and 
O'Connell,  the  latter  made  several  solemn  pro- 
testations of  wishing  to  keep  the  peace  in  Ireland, 
whereupon  a  man  in  the  gallery  roared  out,  "  You 
LIE."  He  was  immediately  secured  by  the 
messengers,  and  in  the  course  of  the  evening 
brought  to  the  Bar.  Making  but  a  lame  excuse, 
he  was  committed  to  Newgate.  It  was  said  that 
he  was  mad;  but,  whether  mad  or  not,  there 
were  many  of  us  who  believed  he  spoke  the 
truth. 

February  26. — The  House,  contrary  to  usage, 
sat  from  twelve  to  six  o'clock  to  receive  petitions 
on  the  subject  of  Reform.  No  one  declared 
positively  against  all  Reform — a  circumstance 
which  I  could  not  help  remarking  at  the  time, 
and  which  was  a  novelty. 

At  last  came  the  great  day — Tuesday,  March  1. 
I  went  to  the  House  at  twelve  o'clock,  and  found 


CHAP.  X.  THE    REFORM   BILL  87 

all    the    benches,    high    and    low,   on   all    sides,     issi, 
patched   with   names.      With   much   difficulty   I 
got  a  vacant  space  on  the  fourth  bench,  nearly 
behind  the  Speaker,  almost  amongst  the  Opposi- 
tion and  the  Anti-Reformers. 

Lord  John  Russell  began  his  speech  at  six 
o'clock.  Never  shall  I  forget  the  astonishment 
of  my  neighbours  as  he  developed  his  plan. 
Indeed,  all  the  House  seemed  perfectly  astounded ; 
and  when  he  read  the  long  list  of  the  boroughs 
to  be  either  wholly  or  partially  disfranchised 
there  was  a  sort  of  wild  ironical  laughter,  mixed 
with  expressions  of  delight  from  the  ex-Ministers, 
who  seemed  to  think  themselves  sure  of  recover- 
ing their  places  again  immediately.  Our  own 
friends  were  not  so  well  pleased.  Baring  Wall, 
turning  to  me,  said,  "  They  are  mad !  they  are 
mad !  "  and  others  made  use  of  similar  exclama- 
tions,— all  but  Sir  Robert  Peel ;  he  looked  serious 
and  angry,  as  if  he  had  discovered  that  the 
Ministers,  by  the  boldness  of  their  measure,  had 
secured  the  support  of  the  country.  Lord  John 
seemed  rather  to  play  with  the  fears  of  his 
audience  ;  and,  after  detailing  some  clauses  which 
seemed  to  complete  the  scheme,  smiled  and 
paused,  and  said,  f<  More  yet."  This  "  more," 
so  well  as  I  recollect,  was  Schedule  B,  which 
took  away  one  member  from  some  boroughs  that 
returned  two  previously.  When  Lord  John  sat 
down,  we  of  the  Mountain  cheered  long  and  loud ; 
although  there  was  hardly  one  of  us  that  believed 


88  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

1831.  such  a  scheme  could,  by  any  possibility,  become 
the  law  of  the  land. 

Sir  John  Sebright  seconded  the  motion  in  a 
short  speech.  Poor  Sir  Robert  Inglis  made  a 
long  Anti-Reform  speech,  and  called  the  Minis- 
terial plan  a  revolution.  Lord  Althorp  spoke 
out  manfully ;  Lord  L.  Gower  treated  us  to  some 
"  prose  run  mad  "  for  an  hour  or  two ;  and  Hume 
adjourned  the  debate  at  half -past  twelve  o'clock. 
We  all  huddled  away,  not  knowing  what  to 
think — the  Anti-Reformers  chuckling  with  de- 
light at  what  they  supposed  was  a  suicidal  pro- 
ject, and  the  friends  of  Ministers  in  a  sort  of 
wonderment.  I  recollect  that  a  very  good  man, 
Mr.  John  Smith,  a  brother  of  Lord  Carrington's, 
caused  much  amusement  by  saying  that  Russell's 
speech  made  his  hair  stand  on  end. 

Sir  Robert  Peel,  with  his  usual  quickness  and 
sagacity,  took  care  at  the  end  of  the  debate  to 
ask  for  an  explanation  of  the  £10  qualification 
for  householders  in  towns,  which  certainly  par- 
took more  of  disfranchisement  than  any  other 
reform,  and  was  calculated  to  make  the  whole 
plan  unpopular. 

Burdett  and  I  agreed  there  was  very  little 
chance  of  the  measure  being  carried,  and  that 
a  revolution  would  be  the  consequence.  We 
thought  our  Westminster  friends  would  oppose 
the  £10  qualification  clause ;  but  we  were  wrong, 
for  we  found  all  our  supporters  delighted  with 
the  Bill. 


CHAP.  X.  DEBATE    ON    REFORM  89 

March  2. — House  of  Commons.  I  found  the 
tone  of  the  House  generally  had  been  very  much 
changed  since  the  previous  evening.  The  scheme 
was  now  thought  not  so  very  wild.  Macaulay 
made  a  powerful  speech,  but  his  concluding 
peroration  was  too  long  and  too  laboured.  Hunt 
supported  the  Bill,  but  talked  like  an  ass  about 
Ilchester  jail;  indeed,  he  is  a  very  silly  fellow. 
Sir  Charles  Wetherell  buffooned  for  nearly  two 
hours,  but  was  cheered  immensely;  so  that  Den- 
man,  who  very  imprudently  would  speak,  could 
scarcely  get  a  hearing.  The  debate  was  adjourned. 

March  3. — I  had  a  skirmish  with  Sir  Henry 
Hardinge  before  the  adjourned  debate  began, 
for  calling  the  scheme  revolutionary.  George 
Bankes  resumed  the  discussion.  "  The  Lord 
delivered  him  into  my  hands,"  for  he  quoted 
Pitt's  speech  in  favour  of  the  Irish  Union,  from 
which  I  had  made  extracts,  and  was  enabled  to 
answer  him  on  his  own  grounds.  I  flattered 
myself  that  I  gave  him  and  Wetherell  a  sufficient 
dressing.  I  spoke  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  and 
concluded  by  apologising  to  Sir  Robert  Peel  for 
my  exultation  on  the  day  of  his  being  beaten  out 
of  office,  and  imploring  him  to  become  Reformer. 
I  was  not  quite  pleased  with  myself,  but  I  heard 
from  all  quarters  that  I  had  done  very  well 
indeed.  Peel  gave  no  sign  of  life  when  I  was 
speaking ;  but  when  he  spoke  he  paid  me  a 
handsome  compliment,  by  saying  that  the  asser- 
tion that  "abilities  were  not  the  first  requisite 

VOL.  iv  12 


90  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

1831.  for  an  M.P.  came  with  a  very  bad  grace  from 
the  Member  for  Westminster."  Alexander  Baring 
then  made  a  very  efficient  although  very  unfair 
speech  against  Reform.  He  created  so  much 
effect  that  Mr.  Charles  Ross  told  me  it  had 
changed  six  votes.  I  mentioned  this  to  Lord 
Duncannon,  who  consoled  me  by  saying  that 
Ross  said  what  was  not  true ;  Baring  had  not 
gained  even  his  own  son  by  his  speech.  Lord 
Tavistock  was  very  indignant  with  him  for  say- 
ing that  Russell  had  drawn  his  Bill  so  as  to  save 
the  Bedford  interest.  Palmerston  made  a  very 
weak  speech.  Then  rose  Peel,  and  made  what  was 
a  most  effective  address  to  the  House  in  favour 
of  the  present  system;  but  his  speech  consisted 
chiefly  of  attacks  on  Palmerston  and  Russell  for 
inconsistencies,  and,  when  I  read  it  afterwards, 
I  was  surprised  to  find  there  was  so  little  in  it. 
However,  the  House  rang  with  cheers  when  he 
sat  down,  and  the  debate  was  adjourned  im- 
mediately at  past  two  in  the  morning. 

March  4. — I  went  rather  late  to  the  House  of 
Commons,  but  heard  Mr.  Jeffrey,1  the  new  Lord 
Advocate,  speak  for  an  hour  and  three-quarters. 
His  fluency  and  argumentative  powers  were 
admirable ;  but  he  was  too  quick  and  too  close 
for  a  popular  assembly  such  as  our  House  of 
Commons.  I  must  not  omit  to  record  that  Mr. 

1  Francis  (afterwards  Lord)  Jeffrey,  editor  of  the  Edinburgh 
Review  from  its  foundation  in  1803  till  1829;  Lord  Advocate, 
1830-34;. M.P.  for  Malton  and  then  for  Edinburgh;  Judge  of  the 
Court  of  Session,  1834. 


CHAP.  X.  HOPES    FOB,    REFORM  91 

Stanley  made  so  excellent  a  speech  that  those 
near  me  whispered  he  ought  to  he  our  leader. 
The  debate  was  adjourned  to  the  following 
Monday. 

Saturday,  March  5. — I  dined  with  Mr.  Speaker, 
at  a  mixed  Ministerial  party,  for  the  first  time 
in  the  ten  years  that  I  had  been  in  Parliament. 
After  dinner  I  had  a  long  conversation  with 
Alexander  Baring.  I  told  him  that,  in  my 
opinion,  Reform  would  be  inevitably  carried. 
He  surprised  me  by  saying  he  supposed  it  would ; 
and  that,  if  the  people  showed  a  determination 
for  it,  he  should  not  continue  his  opposition.  He 
expressed  regret  for  his  attack  on  E/ussell,  but 
added  that  he  could  not  help  thinking  that  some 
great  family  influences  were  spared  by  the 
measure,  whilst  others  were  sacrificed.  I  thought 
him  a  strange  compound — a  timid  yet  extravagant 
politician ;  practically  kind  and  friendly,  but  in 
debate  ferocious  and  unfair.  He  was  said  to  wish 
for  a  peerage,  and  some  added  that,  if  he  did  not 
get  it  from  Lord  Grey,  he  would  get  it  from  the 
Duke  of  Wellington,  or  any  one  else. 

March  7. — At  House  of  Commons.  The  ad- 
journed debate  on  the  Reform  Bill  became  rather 
tiresome,  and  did  not  seem  likely  to  come  to  an 
end,  for  I  counted  no  less  than  fifteen  Members 
on  their  legs  at  once,  attempting  to  catch  the 
Speaker's  eye.  I  stayed,  however,  until  past  one, 
and  then  went  away  with  Lord  Durham.  He 
said  he  wished  to  speak  to  me  about  a  subject  to 


92  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

which  he  had  alluded  in  the  month  of  November 
last.  He  said  that  Lord  Grey  would  like  to 
know  whether  I  would  take  office.  As  a  vacancy 
had  now  occurred,  he  wanted  to  he  informed  what 
my  answer  would  he,  if  asked  to  fill  it.  I  replied 
that,  since  Lord  Grey  had  brought  forward  his 
Reform  Bill,  I  could  have  hut  one  object,  namely, 
to  support  him  in  any  way  he  might  think 
desirable. 

March  9. — Lord  John  Russell  closed  the  debate 
by  an  excellent  speech  at  exactly  twenty-five 
minutes  to  one  o'clock  on  the  morning  of 
March  10;  the  Speaker  put  the  question,  that 

"  LEAVE  BE  GIVEN  TO  BRING  IN  A  BILL  TO  AMEND 
THE  REPRESENTATION  OF  THE  PEOPLE  IN  ENGLAND 

AND  WALES."  The  friends  of  the  Bill  gave  a 
great  shout  for  the  "AYES,"  and  only  two  "NOES  " 
were  heard.  "  And  I  have  lived  to  witness  this— 
the  greatest  event,  for  good  or  for  evil,  that  has 
occurred  since  the  Revolution  of  1688;  in  some 
respects  greater  even  than  that.9'  This  was  the 
entry  I  made  in  my  diary.  The  Irish  and  Scottish 
Reform  Bills  were  also  brought  in  after  short 
debates,  which  lasted  till  three  in  the  morning. 

PROM  DIARY. 

March  10. — The  feeling  in  the  country  is  all 
but  unanimous  in  favour  of  Reform.  Never 
before  were  the  Whigs  bold,  nor  the  Reformers 
prudent.  The  King  answered  the  City  Address 
yesterday  in  most  decisive  terms. 


CHAP.  X.  BROUGHAM   IN   THE   CABINET  93 

March  12.— I  dined  at  Lord  Althorp's  in  Down- 
ing  Street.  Lord  Althorp  told  us  that,  just  before 
the  Debate  on  March  1,  he  told  Stanley  the  plan 
of  Reform  in  order  that  he  might  be  prepared 
to  speak.  Stanley  was  so  surprised  that  he  burst 
into  an  incredulous  laugh,  but  recovered  himself 
by  degrees,  and  agreed  to  do  as  he  was  bid.  Lord 
Althorp  remarked  that  if  Peel  had  been  wise  he 
would  have  spoken  immediately  after  Russell, 
and  would  have  endeavoured  to  negative  the 
introduction  of  the  Bill  at  once. 

Tavistock  told  me  that  Brougham  was  doing 
all  sorts  of  mischief  in  the  Cabinet;  that  he 
had  tried  to  prevent  Lord  J.  Russell  from  accept- 
ing office,  and  afterwards  endeavoured  to  prevent 
him  from  bringing  in  the  Reform  measure.  I 
can  believe  anything  of  the  man. 

March  13. — I  read  a  good  deal  of  Dryden's 
delicious  prose  ;  a  great  relief  from  Vestry  Bills 
and  Cotton  Factory  Bills. 

March  18. — I  went  to  the  House  of  Commons, 
which  I  found  quite  full,  debating  timber  duties. 
A  great  whip  against  Ministers,  and  although 
Lord  Althorp  withdrew  his  original  tax  on 
Canadian  timber,  and  took  off  duty  on  Baltic, 
it  would  not  satisfy  those  who  had  resolved  at 
all  hazards  to  get  a  vote  against  Ministers.  We 
divided,  and  were  beat  by  46. 

The  enemy  were  in  ecstasies,  laughed,  clapped 
hands,  and  gave  every  sign  of  delight.  Our 
Benches  gave  a  horse  laugh  which  rather  dis- 


94  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

comforted  them,  but  they  were  still  in  absolute 
hysterics  of  joy. 

Sir  Charles  Forbes  took  occasion  to  abuse  the 
Reform  Bill  as  revolutionary,  on  which  I  said 
a  word  or  two ;  and  Forbes  replied  by  asking  me 
when  I  should  ask  Ministers  about  resigning. 
This  moved  me,  and  I  gave  him  a  good  dressing, 
and  took  occasion  to  expose  the  vote  of  the  night 
as  a  poor  paltry  trick,  which  would  deceive  nobody 
out  of  doors  and  would  not  affect  Eeform.  The 
Speaker  remonstrated  with  me  privately  for  using 
strong  language,  but  I  was  right,  I  repeat  it : 
the  vote  was  got  up  against  Reform,  not  against 
the  Timber  Duties. 

March  19. — I  dined  with  Lord  Grey  in 
Downing  Street.  A  large  party  of  twenty-five, 
all  M.P.'s.  Very  different  from  Lord  Grey's 
modest  menage  in  Berkeley  Square. 

I  happened  to  sit  next  to  Lord  Grey  at  dinner, 
and  had  a  great  deal  of  talk  with  him.  He 
was  out  of  spirits  with  the  vote  of  the  night 
before,  and  seemed  to  think  it  would  affect 
Reform.  He  told  me  that  nothing  could  exceed 
the  excellent,  open  conduct  of  the  King ;  that 
His  Majesty  had  a  conference  of  three  hours  on 
framing  the  Reform  measure ;  and  that  it  was  a 
conversation  of  question  and  answer,  not  of 
mere  listening,  as  it  used  to  be  in  the  time  of 
George  IV.  The  King  was  decidedly  for  Reform. 
He  had  been  displeased  with  one  measure  only, 
and  that  was  the  interference  with  his  household. 


CHAP.  X.  LORD   GREY  95 

As   that  was  a   saving  of  only   £12,000   a  year,     1331. 
Lord   Grey  thought   it  was   not   worth  while   to 
quarrel    with   him   for   that   sum,    and  he   asked 
me  to  speak  to  Hume  about  it. 

Lord  Grey  told  me  that  he  was  aware,  from 
the  beginning,  that  he  had  only  one  thing  to 
do — namely,  to  give  a  measure  which  would 
satisfy  the  people.  As  for  the  borough  proprietors, 
they  could  not  be  satisfied. 

He  said  that  Lauderdale  was  once  so  violent 
a  Reformer  that  he  called  the  Duke  of  Richmond 
the  greatest  apostate  that  ever  lived,  except 
General  Arnold.  The  Duke  called  him  out,  and 
Grey  was  his  second,  but  no  fight  took  place. 
Then  Arnold  called  him  out,  and  there  was  a 
duel,  in  which  Mr.  Fox  was  second  to  Lauder- 
dale. 

Lord  Grey  is  an  over-anxious  man,  more  in 
manner  perhaps  than  in  action.  He  was  rather 
fussy  at  the  head  of  his  table  as  to  the  dinner 
and  waiting.  But  his  kind  and  generous  nature 
appears  through  all  his  talk;  no  one  can  doubt 
his  sincerity.  In  this  respect  he  has  little  of  the 
statesman  in  him. 

Talking  of  the  infatuation  of  the  other  party, 
he  told  me  that  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  when 
some  one  said  to  him  there  might  be  a  conflict 
with  the  people,  exclaimed,  "Ah,  bah !  " 

I  was  very  glad  to  hear  from  Lord  Duncannon 
this  evening,  one  of  the  three  Ministers  who  had 
drafted  the  Reform  Bill,  that  the  Cabinet  was 


96  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

resolved,  in  case  of  necessity,  to  dissolve  the 
Parliament. 

This  somewhat  consoled  me  for  the  complaints 
I  heard  from  Lord  Nugent  and  Poulett  Thomson, 
who  told  me  that  it  was  impossible  to  go  on  with 
such  Cabinet  Ministers  as  Graham,  and  Grant, 
and  Palmerston,  who  either  would  not  or  could 
not  speak.  Grant  does  not  attend  often,  and 
when  he  does  he  is  half  asleep.  In  the  meantime 
Lord  Grey  complains  of  his  House  of  Commons 
Treasury  Bench  suffering  such  men  as  Herries  to 
roll  them  in  the  kennel  without  reply. 

March  21. — Lord  J.  Russell  moved  the  second 
reading  of  his  Reform  Bill  in  the  House  this 
evening,  and  the  debate  went  on  till  past  two 
in  the  morning. 

March  22.  — The  debate  on  the  Reform  Bill  was 
resumed.  The  rumours  were  rather  more  in 
favour  of  our  success  than  they  had  previously 
been.  Hume  and  Holmes  compared  lists,  and 
brought  them  almost  to  an  equality.  But  some 
votes  were  still  doubtful.  Acland,  as  usual, 
spoke  at  two,  amidst  loud  roars  of  Question ! 
Russell  replied,  and  Peel  looked  as  if  he  was 
going  to  speak,  but  we  prepared  to  give  him  a 
reception  on  both  sides  had  he  done  so  unfair 
a  thing. 

The  gallery  was  cleared,  and  at  exactly  three 
minutes  to  three  in  the  morning  the  Speaker  put 
the  question  on  Sir  Richard  Vyvyan's  amendment, 
"  That  the  Bill  be  read  a  second  time  this  day 


CHAP.  X.  EEJECTION    DEFEATED  97 

six  months.5'  The  shouts  of  Ayes  and  of  Noes 
were  tremendous. 

For  some  time  we  in  the  House  appeared  the 
strongest,  but  by  degrees  our  ranks  were  thinned, 
and  we  thought  we  were  beaten.  Lord  Maitland 
ran  up  to  me  and  told  me  the  numbers  in  the 
lobby  were  309,  but  shortly  after  he  returned, 
pale  and  breathless,  and  said,  "  You  have  it." 
And  so  we  had,  for  there  were  only  301  against 
us  ;  and  when  the  Tellers  approached  the  table, 
and  ours  were  on  the  right,  we  burst  into  tumults 
of  delight,  clapping  hands,  waving  hats,  and 
shouting  lustily  with  all  our  might.  I  was  in 
raptures — not  foolish,  I  hope ;  for  I  said  and 
thought  that  the  vote  had  saved  the  country.  I 
crossed  the  House,  and  shook  hands  with  Althorp, 
Graham,  and  Russell,  all  of  whom  seemed  de- 
lighted with  the  measure.  The  defeated  party  put 
a  good  face  on  the  matter,  and,  as  William  Peel 
said  to  me,  bore  their  beating  with  good  humour. 

March  23. — Passed  the  day  in  giving  and  re- 
ceiving congratulations. 

March  24. — There  was  another  debate  on  pre- 
senting the  Irish  Reform  Bill.  Peel  made  the 
speech  he  ought  to  have  made  on  the  English 
Bill.  Palmerston  answered  feebly.  I  think  I 
could  have  done  it  better,  for  he  did  not  lay  hold 
of  the  weak  points,  especially  in  Sir  H.  Hardinge's 
silly  and  impudent  speech.  Peel  declared  strongly 
against  the  Bill,  and  yet  threw  out  a  hint  that 
either  that  or  some  Reform  was  inevitable. 

VOL.  iv  13 


98  LONDON  CHAP.  X. 

1831.  March  25. — We  had  a  long  debate  on  the  Civil 
List.  Althorp  proposed  to  give  £12,000  more 
than  recommended  by  the  Civil  List  Committee. 
I  tried  to  do  what  I  could  with  Hume,  who  in 
the  most  laughable  way  seemed  to  assent  and  yet 
objected  to  the  increase.  R.  Gordon  made  a  most 
mischievous  speech,  and  Ministers  got  into  a 
hobble.  There  was,  however,  no  division,  though 
we  sat  up  till  past  three  in  the  morning.  Nothing 
but  Reform  can  give  these  men  a  chance  of  keeping 
their  ground. 

March  30. — A  new  writ  moved  for  Parnell,  who 
has  accepted  the  Secretaryship  of  War.  It  is  a 
good  appointment.  He  is  a  much  better  man 
there  than  I  should  have  been ;  but  I  am  a  better 
man  in  the  House,  at  least  so  far  as  speaking 
goes. 

EROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

March  31. — I  walked  some  time  with  Sir  Henry 
Hardinge,  a  man  with  whom  I  became  afterwards 
officially  connected,  and  whom  I  never  think  of 
without  feelings  of  affection  and  esteem.  He  told 
me  that  he  despaired  of  any  effectual  opposition 
to  the  Reform  Bill,  and  thought  the  Ministers 
firm  in  their  places.  He  spoke  despondently  of 
his  own  situation,  and  said  that  he  could  not  bear 
to  see  a  child  in  the  street,  as  it  reminded  him  of 
the  three  that  he  had  at  home,  who  might  be 
exposed  to  the  same  wants.  Formerly  he  had 
no  such  feelings — meaning,  I  suppose,  when  he 


CHAP.  X.          A   REPUTED   SON   OF   NAPOLEON  99 

was  in  office  and  his  party  triumphant.  I  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  these  good  men  thought 
their  offices  were  a  permanent  provision  for  them, 
and  their  acrimonious  hostility  to  the  new 
Ministers  was  not  to  be  wondered  at.  Yet  he 
was  not  over-pleased  with  his  own  party,  and 
confessed  to  me  that  Sir  Robert  Peel's  manners 
and  general  bearing  disqualified  him  for  a  Par- 
liamentary leader. 

On  April  3  I  again  dined  with  Lord  Grey. 
There  was  a  large  party  at  his  table,  and  amongst 
them  Count  Walewski,  a  Pole  and  a  reputed  son 
of  Napoleon.  He  had  just  come  from  Poland 
with  the  passport  of  a  French  comedian.  He  was 
in  the  battle  of  Praga,  of  which  he  gave  some 
details.  The  upper  part  of  his  face  was  very  like 
what  I  recollected  of  Napoleon's ;  so  like  that 
Lady  Holland,  in  an  absent  fit,  could  not  help 
saying  to  him,  "  You  are  very  like  your  father  " ; 
on  which  he  replied,  "I  did  not  know  that  you 
were  acquainted  with  my  father."  After  dinner 
I  had  a  little  talk  with  Lord  Grey  about  the 
Poles.  He  told  me  that  he  considered  the  cause 
as  hopeless,  in  spite  of  their  heroic  efforts,  adding 
that,  although  he  could  not  receive  Wielopolski 
in  his  public  capacity,  he  should  be  glad  to  see 
him  as  a  private  gentleman,  just  as  he  did  Count 
Walewski,  in  consequence  of  a  letter  he  had 
received  from  Prince  Czartoryski. 


CHAPTER  XI 

PROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

April. — All  sorts  of  rumours  were  afloat,  and 
stories,  more  or  less  absurd,  were  told,  during  the 
discussions  on  the  first  Reform  Bill.  I  recollect 
that  Lord  Durham  informed  me  Ministers  were 
sure  of  a  majority  in  the  Lords  if  the  Bill  passed 
the  Commons — a  very  great  mistake. 

Andrews,  the  Bond  Street  bookseller,  told  me 
that  Lord  Sidmouth  had  been  with  him  to  know 
the  feelings  of  those  in  his  class  of  life,  and  his 
lordship  would  not  believe  that  the  majority  of 
them  were  not  against  the  measure.  The  truth 
was  that,  of  the  tradesmen  who  had  any  political 
opinion  at  all,  the  feelings  were  all  but  unanimous 
in  favour  of  Parliamentary  Reform.  Of  course 
those  who  looked  only  to  an  increase  of  wealthy 
customers  preferred  that  all  things  should  remain 
as  they  were. 

FROM  DIARY. 

April  6. — Dined  at  Lord  Belhaven's.  Met 
Sydney  Smith  there  ;  he  very  agreeable  and  good- 
natured,  as  usual.  I  was  introduced  to  Lady 
Charlemont,  a  very  handsome  woman,  but  not  so 

100 


CHAP.  XI.          THE   REFORM   BILL   AMENDED  101 

handsome  as  Lady  Tullamore,  who  also  dined 
with  us.  Lady  Davy  there.  I  have  lately  read 
some  of  her  husband's  "  Last  Days  "  —a  strange 
work,  I  think :  but  that  a  dying  man  should  write 
at  all  is  more  strange. 

FROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

On  April  18  a  trial  of  strength  between  Ministers 
and  their  opponents  was  expected,  for  General 
Gascoyne  was  to  move  that  the  number  of  knights, 
citizens,  and  burgesses  for  England  and  Wales 
ought  not  to  be  diminished. 

At  the  House,  Lord  John  Russell  opened  the 
debate  by  explaining  the  changes  that  had  been 
made  since  the  second  reading  of  the  Bill.  These 
changes  did  not  at  all  affect  the  principle  of  the 
measure,  but  only  rectified  unavoidable  errors. 
Then  Gascoyne  moved  his  amendment  in  a  violent 
and  foolish  speech.  He  afterwards  confessed  to 
me  that  his  motion  had  been  agreed  upon  as 
the  best  way  of  defeating  the  Reform  Bill ; 
yet  this  was  denied  by  him,  and  by  others,  in 
the  course  of  the  debate. 

Lord  Althorp  declared  that  the  Government 
had  resolved  to  consider  the  decision  of  the  House 
on  this  motion  as  final  with  respect  to  the  Bill. 

The  next  day,  April  19,  I  went  to  the  House. 
A  tall,  ungainly  young  man,  with  a  strong  squint 
of  one  eye,  spoke  with  great  fluency  and  precision 
during  nearly  an  hour,  gaining  much  upon  his 
audience,  until  the  House  became  quite  silent. 


102  LONDON  CHAP.  XI. 

1831.  His  name  was  Hawkins,  a  nephew  of  my  late 
friend  Sir  Christopher  Hawkins.  He  was  for 
the  Bill,  and  he  made  one  of  the  hest  speeches, 
certainly  the  hest  first  speech,  I  ever  heard  in 
Parliament.  All  sides  were  pleased  with  him, 
hut  Sir  Robert  Peel,  according  to  his  usual 
practice,  continued  turning  over  the  pages  of 
the  amended  Bill,  apparently  unmoved  and 
inattentive.  We  cheered  the  maiden  orator  on 
sitting  down  tremendously. 

Sir  Robert  Wilson  came  forward  with  more 
boldness,  and,  it  must  be  confessed,  with  more 
eloquence,  than  usual,  and  made  the  most  dis- 
graceful exposure  that  ever  closed  a  life  of 
pretended  patriotism.  It  was  a  speech  full  of 
mischief  and  malice,  and  at  the  end  of  all  his 
vituperation  he  declared  he  should  not  vote  at 
all. 

Peel  began  his  speech  in  a  tone  of  much 
moderation  and  mildness,  warmed  himself  up  by 
degrees,  and  concluded  by  a  denunciation  of 
Ministers  as  persons  who,  if  they  could  not 
govern,  had  resolved  to  make  it  impossible  for 
others  to  govern.  He  attacked  the  People,  he 
attacked  the  Press,  and  had  the  air  of  a  person 
who  thought  victory  certain.  Indeed,  Hume  and 
others  told  me  that  we  were  beaten,  but  no  one 
knew  by  how  many ;  some  said  thirty,  some  ten. 

We  divided  at  half -past  four.  The  excitement 
was  not  so  great  as  at  the  second  reading.  It 
was  soon  conjectured  that  we  were  defeated,  but 


CHAP.  XI.         DEFEAT   OF   THE   GOVERNMENT  103 

Mr.  Planta  told  me  by  not  more  than  ten.  The 
Duke  of  Cumberland  was  shut  up  in  Mr.  Mitchell's 
office,  and  grinned  at  us  through  the  oval  window 
like  an  old  lion.  He  had  attended  all  the  debates 
on  the  Bill. 

When  the  doors  opened  we  heard  we  were 
beaten  by  eight.  Sir  James  Graham  said  to  me, 
"Well,  never  mind;  then  we  must  have  it  the 
other  way  ;  the  process  will  be  longer,  that's  all." 
The  division  was  announced  in  silence,  as  agreed 
upon  by  our  opponents,  who  did  not  appear  very 
triumphant. 

The  next  day  I  spoke  to  some  of  our  opponents, 
and  they  seemed  to  hope  that  the  Ministers  would 
not  resign  nor  go  on  with  their  Bill,  by  which 
process  it  was  certain  they  would  finally  lose 
their  places  and  their  characters.  Our  wishes, 
of  course,  were  for  a  dissolution  of  Parliament, 
and  perseverance  with  Reform. 

EEOM  DIARY. 

April  21. — When  I  entered  the  House  of 
Commons  to-day  it  appeared  the  reality  of  the 
dissolution  had  just  been  known.  It  produced 
the  greatest  consternation  in  the  enemy,  which 
by  degrees  was  inflamed  into  rage.  Peel  pre- 
served his  temper,  but  looked  exceedingly  foolish. 

Sir  R.  Vyvyan  solemnly  asked  Althorp  whether 
he  intended  to  abandon  the  Reform  Bill  and  to 
dissolve  the  Parliament.  To  these  questions  Lord 
Althorp  answered  very  coolly,  "Yes,  as  to  the 


104  LONDON  CHAP.  XI. 

1831.  first  ;  and,  as  to  the  second,  his  duty  commanded 
him  to  decline  to  give  any  answer."  On  this 
the  friends  of  Ministers  set  up  a  laugh  and  a 
shout,  and  the  House  seemed  on  the  point  of 
separating,  so  I  went  away.  But  a  violent  debate 
sprang  up  afterwards,  on  which  Maurice  Fitz- 
gerald, Peel,  and  Baring  made  strong  speeches 
against  the  Bill  and  against  dissolution,  and 
William  Bankes  adjourned  the  House  at  one 
o'clock  to  prevent  the  Ordnance  Estimates  from 
being  reported  and  so  to  stop  the  dissolution. 

In  the  Lords,  Lord  Wharncliffe  gave  notice 
that  he  should  move  to  address  the  King  next 
day  not  to  dissolve  Parliament. 


BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 
April  22.  —  I  now  learnt  that  the  King,  who  at 
first  had  thought  of  adjourning  the  House  by 
Commission,  was  now  resolved  to  come  in  person, 
which,  it  seems,  he  ought  to  do,  in  order  to  thank 
the  Parliament  for  granting  the  Civil  List.  By 
half-past  two  the  House  of  Commons  was  very 
full,  and  Mr.  Speaker  was  in  his  gala  robes. 
There  was  time  to  report  some  Bills  —  my  Factory 
Bill  amongst  them.  Then  up  got  Sir  R.  Vyvyan, 
and  made  a  speech  in  which  he  attempted  to 
do  all  possible  mischief  to  Ministers,  and  all 
the  good  to  himself  and  party  that  time  would 
allow.  He  deprecated  the  dissolution,  called 
upon  the  Protestant  electors  in  the  three  kingdoms 
to  be  on  their  guard,  and  announced  a  revolution 


CHAP.  XL          CONFUSION   IN   THE   COMMONS  105 

as  certain.  He  got  warm  and  excited  as  he  went 
on,  and  continued  in  a  strain  of  violence  that 
called  up  Burdett,  who  spoke  to  order.  This 
was  natural,  but  not  discreet,  in  my  colleague, 
for  the  Speaker  decided  there  had  heen  no  breach 
of  order,  and  Sir  Hichard  resumed  his  philippic. 
Then  Tennyson  called  him  to  order,  and  the 
Speaker  again  protected  him.  Tennyson  disputed 
the  decision  of  the  Chair,  and  the  noise  and 
confusion  began  to  be  overpowering.  Vyvyan 
again  spoke;  the  cannons  announced  the  approach 
of  the  King,  and  at  each  discharge  of  the  guns 
the  Ministerialists  cheered  loudly,  as  if  in  derision 
of  the  orator's  solemn  sentences.  At  last  the 
roaring  of  the  cannon,  the  laughter,  and  our 
cheering  fairly  beat  the  Baronet,  and  he  suddenly 
sat  down. 

Peel,  quite  beside  himself,  now  jumped  up ;  so 
did  Burdett.  The  Speaker,  not  quite  fairly, 
called  on  Peel,  and  Lord  Althorp  rose.  The  calls 
for  Peel,  Burdett,  Althorp,  and  Chair  now  were 
heard  in  wild  confusion.  The  floor  was  covered 
with  Members;  half  the  House  left  their  seats, 
and  the  Opposition  seemed  perfectly  frantic ; 
William  Bankes  looked  as  if  his  face  would 
burst  with  blood ;  Peel  stormed ;  the  Speaker  was 
equally  furious;  Lord  Althorp  stood  silent  and 
quite  unmoved.  At  last  the  Speaker  recovered 
himself  and  said,  "  I  am  quite  sure  I  understand 
what  the  noble  Lord  moves — he  moves  that  Sir 
Robert  Peel  be  heard."  Althorp  assented,  and, 

VOL.  iv  14 


106  LONDON  CHAP.  XI. 

1831.  after  some  more  shouting  and  screaming,  Sir 
Robert  Peel  was  heard.  His  "  speech  "  —it  was 
thus  I  recorded  it  at  the  time — was  such  as 
completely  unmasked  him  :  all  his  candour,  all 
his  moderation,  all  his  trimming,  shifty  policy 
disappeared,  and  he  displayed  his  real  vexation, 
and  true  feelings  of  disappointment  and  rage,  in 
an  harangue  of  sound  and  fury,  signifying  nothing 
but  his  own  despair,  and  hatred  of  those  who 
had  overreached  him  by  calculating  on  the  good 
sense  of  the  People,  and  the  firmness  of  the 
King,  with  more  accuracy  than  himself.  The 
Black  Rod  cut  short  his  oration  just  as  he  seemed 
about  to  fall  into  a  fit.  Then  the  Speaker,  with 
a  face  equally  red  and  quivering  with  rage, 
rose,  and,  followed  by  many  Members,  went  to 
the  Lords.  Whilst  Peel  was  speaking,  I,  who 
was  opposite  to  him,  on  the  second  bench  behind 
Ministers,  was  so  much  moved  at  his  violence, 
that  I  waved  my  hand  and  shook  my  head,  as 
if  to  show  him,  in  no  unfriendly  manner,  that  he 
was  doing  harm  to  himself,  and  injuring  the 
character  of  the  country.  Indeed,  I  was  more 
sorry  than  angry ;  I  could  hardly  have  supposed 
such  an  incident  possible.  But  Peel  was  not 
the  only  over-excited  performer  on  that  day ; 
for  Sir  Henry  Hardinge  crossed  the  House,  and 
said,  "  The  next  time  you  hear  those  guns  they 
will  be  shotted,  and  take  off  some  of  your  heads. 
I  do  not  mean  yours,"  said  he  to  me,  "for  you 
have  been  always  consistent;  but  those  gentle- 


CHAP.  XI.          EXCITEMENT    IN    PARLIAMENT  107 

men,"  pointing   to   the   Ministers.     The   Speaker 
returned  and  read  the  Royal  Speech  at  the  tahle 
—it  was  an  admirable  speech  indeed. 

Lord  Althorp,  Sir  James  Graham,  and  myself 
walked  away  together,  and  stopped  to  see  the 
King  pass  the  door  of  the  hat-room.  He  was 
much  cheered ;  but  the  crowd  was  not  great. 
Lord  Althorp  said  to  me,  "  Well,  I  think  I  beat 
Peel  in  temper " ;  as,  indeed,  he  had  most 
completely. 

We  were  joined  in  Palace  Yard  by  Lord 
Goderich,  who  told  us  that  the  scene  in  the 
House  of  Lords  had  been  more  disgraceful  than 
that  in  the  Commons.  Lord  Londonderry  had 
shaken  his  fist  at  the  Duke  of  Richmond ;  and 
the  Lord  Chancellor  had  been  hooted  by  the 
Opposition  Peers  when  he  left  the  woolsack, 
and  Lord  Shaftesbury  had  been  voted  into  his 
seat.  Lord  Tankerville  told  me  that  the  angry 
Lords  would,  without  the  least  scruple,  have 
voted  off  the  Ministers'  heads  that  day.  All" 
this  fury  was  not  surprising  when  we  remember 
that  the  party  who  had  been  in  possession  of 
power  so  long  now  saw  that  their  hold  on  that 
power,  through  the  borough  system,  was  about  to 
leave  them — never  to  return.  The  firmness  of 
the  King  had  dispelled  the  last  illusion  of  the 
ant i- Reformers,  who,  to  do  them  justice,  did  not 
give  way  until  all  resistance  was  hopeless. 

There  was  great  rejoicing  amongst  our  friends ; 
and  the  joy  at  the  unexpected  triumph  of  the 


108  LONDON  CHAP.  XI. 

1831.  Reform  party  was  manifested  by  him  who  had 
contributed  to  it  more  than  any  one  else.  Robert 
Grosvenor,  Comptroller  of  the  Household,  told 
me  that,  being  sent  for  in  a  hurry  to  attend  the 
King,  he  found  His  Majesty  in  great  spirits. 
"When  in  the  House  he  insisted  on  putting  on 
the  crown  himself,  and  said  to  Lord  Grey,  "  This 
shall  be  my  only  coronation."  Lord  Grey 
apologised  to  him  for  the  unavoidable  haste  of 
the  proceeding.  "  Never  mind  that,"  replied  His 
Majesty,  "  I  am  always  at  single  anchor."  Lord 
Albemarle,  Master  of  the  Horse,  told  him  that 
the  state  coachman  was  not  in  the  way.  "  Then," 
said  the  King,  "  I  will  go  in  a  hackney  coach." 

On  the  evening  of  the  day  on  which  the  King 
prorogued  the  Houses,  I  was  waited  upon  by  our 
Westminster  friends,  requesting  me  again  to  be 
put  in  nomination  for  the  City  and  Liberties. 

The  next  day  I  attended  an  assembly  at 
Lansdowne  House,  and  was  assured  by  the  Duke 
of  Devonshire,  Lord  Lansdowne,  and  others,  that 
the  reports  of  that  strange  commotion  in  the 
Lords  were  not  at  all  exaggerated.  The  room 
was  quite  full  of  beautiful  women  and  idle  men, 
with  no  signs  of  approaching  revolution  in  the 
faces  of  any  of  them.  There  were,  however, 
none  of  our  opponents  nor  their  families  there. 

Parliament  was  dissolved  in  the  Gazette  of 
April  23.  The  news  from  the  country  was  very 
encouraging,  and  the  greatest  enthusiasm  pre- 
vailed in  the  metropolis.  A  Westminster  meeting 


CHAP.  XI.  FUND    TO    ASSIST    REFORM  109 

took  place  in  Covent  Garden,  to  address  His 
Majesty  and  thank  him  for  dissolving  the 
Parliament.  It  was  one  of  the  largest  meetings 
I  ever  saw  assembled  in  that  place,  where  I 
had  seen  so  many  crowds.  Sir  Erancis  Burdett 
and  myself  were  received  as  in  days  of  yore. 
Our  speeches  were  rather  peppery,  it  must  be 
confessed,  but  they  suited  the  taste  of  the  day. 

The  next  day  I  attended  a  meeting  at  the 
Crown  and  Anchor,  for  establishing  a  Fund  to 
assist  Reform  candidates.  I  proposed  the  plan 
agreed  upon ;  we  formed  a  Committee  on  the 
spot.  Edward  Ellice  gave  me  the  list  of  certain 
influential  members  of  Brooks 's  Club  who  had 
put  down  their  names  for  sums  amounting  already 
to  £15,000,  a  good  deal  of  which  had  been  dis- 
posed of  in  procuring  seats  for  some  good  men 
and  true.  This  appeared  somewhat  in  con- 
tradiction to  the  principles  on  which  we  put 
forward  our  political  pretensions ;  but  we  were 
obliged  to  fight  our  opponents  with  their  own 
weapons,  no  other  mode  of  warfare  would  have 
had  the  slightest  chance  of  success.  Subscrip- 
tions poured  in  by  sums  amounting  to  thousands 
of  pounds. 

May  2. — Sir  Erancis  Burdett  and  myself  went 
in  procession  to  Covent  Garden.  Our  reception 
was  very  gratifying;  and  we  ascended  the  hust- 
ings amidst  such  thunders  of  applause  as  have 
been  seldom  heard  even  there.  There  had  been 
rumours  of  opposition,  but  they  turned  out  alto- 


110  LONDON  CHAP.  XI. 

1831.  gether  unfounded.  Indeed,  an  opposing  candidate 
would  have  run  some  personal  risk.  As  it  was, 
the  utmost  good  humour  prevailed  throughout  the 
vast  assemblage. 

May  3. — This  day  Sir  Henry  Hardinge  accosted 
me  hy  saying  that  I  had  been  using  strong  lan- 
guage in  my  speech  of  April  26  in  reference  to 
Sir  Robert  Peel,  and  that  Sir  Robert  Peel  had 
come  up  from  Staffordshire  in  consequence  of  it. 
I  understood  by  this  that  what  was  in  those  days 
called  a  meeting  might  take  place,  and  I  answered 
accordingly.  I  went  to  Lord  Dacre,  and  asked 
him  to  stand  my  friend  on  the  occasion.  He  said 
he  would  provided  I  gave  him  discretion  how  to 
act ;  he  would  not  if  he  was  called  in  merely  to 
load  pistols.  I  went  home  and  read  the  speech 
complained  of  in  the  Times.  There  was  nothing 
in  it  of  which  Peel  had  a  right  to  complain. 

Lady  Julia  had  been  seriously  ill ;  and  as  it 
was  of  the  utmost  consequence  that  she  should 
not  be  disquieted,  I  was  not  a  little  disturbed 
when  I  saw  Sir  Henry  Hardinge  approaching 
my  house.  I  had,  however,  time  to  leave  the 
room  in  which  I  was  sitting  with  my  wife,  and 
to  receive  him  alone  in  the  dining-room.  He 
gave  me  a  letter  from  Sir  Robert  Peel,  and  said 
that  the  business  would  be  finished  in  five 
minutes.  I  remarked  that  I  could  give  no  opinion 
on  that  point.  He  went  away,  and  at  parting  he 
said,  "  Well,  God  bless  you,  at  any  rate !  " 

Peel  complained  of  two  sentences  in  my  speech. 


CHAP.  XI.      A   MISUNDERSTANDING   WITH   PEEL          111 

One  of  them  I  did  utter;  the  other  I  did  not. 
I  was  preparing  to  go  to  Cambridge  to  vote  at 
the  University  election ;  and  it  was  arranged  that, 
if  a  meeting  took  place,  it  should  he  near  Dover, 
so  that  I  need  not  come  back  to  London,  but 
travel  at  once  to  the  coast. 

I  went  to  Cambridge,  and  dined  with  Dr.  Davy 
at  Caius  College.  Mr.  Otter,  of  Jesus  College, 
and  Barnes,  editor  of  the  Times,  were  at  this  most 
agreeable  dinner,  when  we  did  not  fail  to  con- 
gratulate each  other  on  the  news  which  came 
pouring  in  to  us  from  all  parts  of  the  country 
of  the  victories  of  our  friends. 

The  next  day  I  had  a  letter  from  Lord  Dacre, 
telling  me  that  the  Peel  affair  had  been  settled 
in  a  manner  which  he  said  was  quite  satisfactory. 
After  voting  for  Palmerston  and  Cavendish  I 
returned  to  London,  and  called  immediately  on 
Lord  Dacre.  He  showed  me  two  letters — one 
from  Hardinge  to  him,  and  the  other  from  him 
to  Hardinge.  Hardinge's  letter  concluded  by 
congratulating  Lord  Dacre  that  the  affair  had 
been  settled  in  a  manner  so  satisfactory  to  Peel 
and  to  me. 

EROM  DIARY. 

May  5. — The  truth  is,  that  had  we  met  the 
issue  would  have  done  no  good  to  Peel  in  any 
possible  way.  Had  any  mischief  happened  to 
him,  what  would  have  become  of  the  party  ? 
Had  any  happened  to  me,  what  would  the  Re- 


112  LONDON  CHAP.  XI. 

1831.  formers  have  said  ?  Peel  had  no  right  to  com- 
plain upon  the  strength  of  a  report  only  in  one 
paper ;  and  although  my  words  were  strong,  they 
did  not  amount  to  an  insult ;  and  no  insult  was 
meant,  of  course.  Prohahly  Peel  wrote  in  a 
passion  from  Drayton,  and  could  not  recall  his 
letter.  Hardinge  showed  Lord  Dacre  letters  he 
had  received  from  Peel,  in  which  his  rage  was 
very  violent  indeed.  "  Sic  finita  est  fahula,"  for 
the  present  at  least ;  but  there  will  be  ink  shed, 
and  blood  shed  too,  before  all  is  over.  "  Haec 
inter,"  Reform  is  victorious  everywhere. 

May  9. — I  dined  at  the  Livery  Reform  dinner, 
London  Tavern,  to  celebrate  return  of  four  City 
Members.  The  London  Members  are  very  poor 
creatures.  Waithman  said  that  he  had  "fought 
with  beasts  at  Ephesus." 

Day  after  day  fresh  triumphs.  My  brother 
and  I  made  out  that  our  majority  will  be  120 
at  least. 

May  12. — Everything  going  on  well.  Indeed, 
except  Bucks  and  Shropshire,  we  have  been 
defeated  nowhere;  and  have  not  lost  even  there. 
Scotland  and  Ireland  are  doing  well ;  but  not  so 
well  as  merry  old  England ! 

May  18. — Nearly  all  the  elections  over;  but 
the  fight  still  kept  up  in  Northamptonshire, 
where  the  enemy  are  trying  to  show  that  Lord 
Althorp  has  behaved  with  duplicity.  This  is  Tory 
tactic :  when  you  cannot  oppose  a  man's  politics, 
belie  his  character. 


CHAP.  XI.  THE   WESTMINSTER  DINNER  113 

May  21. — I  have  been  staying  with  my  brother  1831, 
at  Send  since  May  14.  I  doubt  whether  Reform 
has  made  much  progress  in  these  parts.  The  new 
M.P.  is  one  of  those  old  courtiers  who  inquires 
only  what  the  King  wishes.  Of  these  I  hear 
there  are  still  many  in  the  country,  though  the 
race  is  nearly  extinct  in  London. 

PROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

May  23. — I  attended  the  annual  Westminster 
dinner.  There  were  about  300  guests,  and  the 
whole  festival  went  off  with  a  spirit  and  effect 
to  be  expected  from  the  prospect  of  an  immediate 
triumph  for  the  cause  of  which,  after  all,  Burdett 
and  the  Westminster  Reformers  had  been  the 
principal,  and,  for  a  time,  were  the  only  promoters. 
Burdett,  at  the  end  of  the  evening,  proposed  the 
health  of  "  THOMAS  HARDY."  The  worthy  veteran 
returned  thanks,  and  expressed,  as  well  he  might, 
his  amazement  at  living  to  see  the  King  and  his 
Ministers  propose  to  do  that,  for  attempting 
which  he  had  been  tried  for  his  life. 

At  Brooks's  I  heard  from  Ellice  that  Lord 
Grey  was  in  high  health  and  spirits,  and  that 
the  Peers  would  not  be  able  to  resist  the  popular 
feeling  and  the  large  majorities  in  the  Commons. 

The  King  having  given  a  supernumerary  Garter 
to  Lord  Grey,  I  wrote  to  congratulate  him,  and 
added  that  nothing  good  or  honourable  could 
happen  to  him  without  the  country  gaining  some 
advantage  from  it. 

VOL.    IV  15 


114  LONDON  CHAP.  XI. 

1831.  Replying  to  my  letter,  Lord  Grey  told  me  that 
conferring  the  Garter  on  him  was  the  spontaneous 
act  of  the  King,  who  said  he  thought  it  of  im- 
portance to  grant  him  the  honour  at  this  moment 
as  a  public  mark  of  his  favour. 

At  this  time  Lady  Julia  was  attacked  by  that 
disease  which  was  fated  to  be  so  calamitous  to 
my  family.  The  symptoms  were  such  as  I  could 
not  mistake,  and  I  removed  her  at  once  to  London 
for  advice.  I  now  found  by  sad  experience  how 
little  all  public  concerns  appear  compared  with 
an  object  of  domestic  interest.  I  tried  to  occupy 
myself  with  many  matters  that  used  to  engage 
my  eager  attention  ;  and  I  tried  to  think  of  every- 
thing but  that  which  pressed  most  upon  all  my 
thoughts.  Of  the  first  medical  advisers  we  called 
in,  the  report  was  favourable ;  but,  when  I  con- 
sulted Dr.  Warren,  he  pronounced  a  sentence 
which  was  all  but  fatal.  I  shall  not  record  the 
varieties  of  this  treacherous  disorder.  The  courage 
and  gaiety  of  the  dear  creature  were  such  as  to 
keep  hope  alive,  although  at  times  her  very 
patience  added  to  my  suffering;  and,  when  she 
talked  of  our  little  projects  for  the  future,  I 
could  hardly  master  my  feelings.  Once  she 
said,  (( If  this  cough  would  but  leave  me ;  but 
I  ought  to  suffer  something — I  have  been  too 
happy  !  " 

At  this  time,  also,  my  father  became  seriously 
ill,  and  his  house,  as  well  as  my  own,  was  a  house 
of  sickness  and  of  sorrow.  But  attendance  on 


CHAP.  XI.  OPENING   OF   PARLIAMENT  115 

Parliamentary  duties  was  more  of  a  distraction 
than  a  burthen  to  me,  and  I  did  my  best  to  conceal 
my  anxieties  from  my  political  associates. 

June  21. — Parliament  was  opened  to-day.  A 
vast  and  well-dressed  crowd  received  His  Majesty 
most  enthusiastically.  The  roofs  of  the  houses 
near  the  Admiralty  and  Horse  Guards,  and  all 
the  way  down  to  Palace  Yard,  were  covered  with 
spectators.  In  the  streets  the  sight  was  still  more 
striking,  and  the  multitude  was  so  densely  packed 
that  I  had  some  difficulty  in  getting  down  to  the 
House. 

The  King's  Speech  was  more  than  of  the  average 
length,  and  was  eked  out  by  allusions  to  the 
cholera.  No  notice  was  taken  of  the  result  of 
the  elections.  Peel  made  a  speech  which  I 
characterised  at  the  time  as  "quite  worthy  of 
him/'  professing  candour  and  moderation,  but 
losing  no  opportunity  of  saying  sly  and  injurious 
things  of  his  opponents.  He  did  just  confess  that 
the  People  had  declared  for  a  large  Reform  by 
a  majority;  but  he  attributed  this,  in  great 
measure,  to  the  excitement  raised  by  the  use  of 
the  King's  name,  and  by  accusing  the  late 
Parliament  of  refusing  the  supplies,  which  he 
declared  to  be  untrue,  and  he  charged  the  Lord 
Chancellor  and  Sir  James  Graham  with  the  false- 
hood in  terms  scarcely  measured.  He  concluded 
by  declaring  that,  although  in  a  minority,  he 
should  brave  unpopularity  by  opposing  Reform 
as  before. 


116  LONDON  CHAP.  XI. 

Going  away  from  the  House  of  Commons  I 
looked  into  the  Lords.  The  array  on  the  Opposi- 
tion benches  was  very  formidable ;  but  I  was 
consoled  by  hearing  this  day,  from  Samuel  Rogers, 
that  the  Duke  of  Wellington  had  said  to  him : 
"  They  want  to  make  me  the  head  of  a  faction  ; 
but  I  will  not.  I  have  served  my  country  forty 
years  in  the  field  and  the  Cabinet.  I  will  not 
now  take  such  a  course;  and  you  may  tell  your 
Ministerial  friends  so." 

FEOM  DIARY. 

June  23. — For  the  first  time  in  my  life  I 
attended  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Commons 
with  the  Address  to  the  King.  We  mustered  at 
the  House  in  considerable  numbers,  130  or  140. 
Our  Ministers  were  in  their  livery,  and  looked 
very  menial. 

I  thought  the  King  looked  ill.  His  answer, 
as  usual,  was  short.  He  was  very  attentive  to 
our  address,  and  seemed  to  wish  to  show  by  his 
movements  that  he  understood  and  approved  of 
what  he  heard. 

When  the  Speaker  put  the  address  into  the 
King's  hand,  he  knelt  on  one  knee  before  the 
throne  so  that  his  head  was  not  much  above  the 
footstool.  This  looked  a  little  like  Persian 
adoration,  I  thought.  We  all  backed  out  of  the 
room  in  a  throng,  the  effect  of  which  was  not 
imposing  but  ridiculous.  The  King  is  a  good 
King,  the  best  we  ever  had. 


CHAP.  XL  THE   NEW   REFORM   BILL  117 

FROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

June  24. — This  was  the  day  fixed  for  the  intro-  issi, 
duction  of  the  second  Reform  Bill,  and,  although 
I  went  down  earlier  than  usual,  I  found  every 
place  taken ;  and  I  heard  that  all  the  Opposition 
benches  had  been  occupied  since  eight  in  the 
morning.  Being  at  prayers,  however,  I  did  get 
a  seat  on  the  right,  below  the  gangway,  amongst 
the  Irish  Members.  Lord  John  Russell  began 
his  speech  at  half -past  five.  He  spoke  two  hours 
on  introducing  his  new  Bill,  which  seemed  to 
differ  very  little  from  the  old  Bill.  Part  of  his 
speech  was,  I  thought,  good — part  of  it  not  so 
happy.  He  did  not  spare  the  new  moderate 
Reformers,  and  Peel  and  Chandos,  with  their 
associates,  looked  a  little  uncomfortable. 

The  eccentric  Colonel  Sibthorp,  and  Mr.  Conolly, 
M.P.  for  Donegal,  and  Lord  Stormont  were 
amongst  the  most  obstreperous  of  the  minority. 
Charles  Ross,  as  usual,  was  providing  materials, 
fetching  books  and  paper,  for  Peel.  He  looked 
more  than  usually  disconcerted,  when  Russell 
mentioned  that  St.  Germans  was  to  be  added  to 
the  schedule  of  boroughs  to  be  disfranchised. 

Sir  Robert  Peel  followed  Russell  in  a  half- 
angry  tone.  He  promised  a  division  on  the 
second  reading,  and  spoke  out  most  decisively 
against  the  Bill,  so  that,  coupling  this  with  the 
threatening  aspect  of  the  Lords,  we  all  expected 
a  most  severe  struggle. 

July    3. — I    heard    that    Prince    Leopold    had 


118  LONDON  CHAP.  XI. 

1831.  accepted  the  crown  of  Belgium,  the  wisest  choice, 
not  only  for  Belgium,  hut  all  Europe,  that  could 
possibly  have  heen  made.  The  same  day  I  dined 
in  company  with  Achille  Murat,  eldest  son  of 
the  late  King  of  Naples,  and  his  wife,  some  re- 
lation of  the  great  Washington.  Achille  was  an 
insignificant-looking  man,  with  something  of  the 
Buonaparte  face  ahout  his  forehead,  hut  he  wore 
spectacles.  He  talked  to  me  a  good  deal,  and 
in  a  most  depreciating  tone,  of  Louis  Philippe, 
prophesying  that  his  Government  would  he  over- 
thrown before  the  next  anniversary  of  the  Three 
Glorious  Days.  He  also  foretold  that  the  down- 
fall of  the  Church  and  the  aristocracy  would 
inevitably  follow  the  Reform  Bill.  The  late 
heir-apparent  of  the  kingdom  of  Naples  lived  in 
the  Alpha  Cottages. 

Two  or  three  days  before  this  I  saw,  in  the 
course  of  a  ten  minutes'  walk,  a  young  man  who 
had  lost  two  crowns  ;  and  another  personage,  not 
forty  years  of  age,  who  was  very  near  being 
Prince  Consort  of  England,  was  Sovereign  of 
Greece,  and  was  about  to  be  King  of  Belgium.1 
Dom  Pedro 2  was  coming  out  of  the  Clarendon 
Hotel,  where  he  was  lodged.  Had  I  gone  to 
Holies  Street  I  should  have  seen  a  discrowned 


1  King  Leopold. 

2  Dom  Pedro,  son  of  John  VI.,  King  of  Portugal.     Proclaimed 
Emperor  of  Brazil  in  1822,  he  was  compelled  to  resign  his  crown 
in  favour  of  his  son  Pedro  II.  in  1831.     In  1833  he  recovered  by 
force  the  throne  of    Portugal,   which   had  been   usurped   by  his 
brother  Miguel.    He  died  in  1834. 


CHAP.  XI.  SECOND  READING  OF  THE  REFORM  BILL     119 

Queen,  Hortense,  Duchess  of  St.  Leu.  A  few 
weeks  ago  the  Duchess  of  Berri  passed  through 
London,  and  crossed  the  Duchess  of  St.  Leu  on 
an  excursion  to  Greenwich.  Candide's  kings 
at  the  Carnival  of  Venice  seeni  no  longer  a 
fiction. 

July  4. — The  second  reading  of  the  new  Reform 
Bill  came  on.  I  came  in  just  as  Sir  James 
Mackintosh  rose.  He  spoke  two  hours,  and  spoke 
very  well  indeed — rather  "  caviare  to  the  general/' 
but  sound  and  profound.  The  best  speech  on 
the  other  side  was  from  Lord  Porchester.  It 
was  rapturously  cheered,  and,  probably,  more 
applauded  in  reference  to  the  unexpected  quarter 
from  which  it  proceeded,  as  his  father,  Lord 
Carnarvon,  had  for  many  years  been  a  strenuous 
ally  of  the  Whig  party. 

The  young  man  was  applauded  and  congratu- 
lated by  all,  and  Sir  Robert  Peel  said  it  was 
by  far  the  best  first  speech  he  had  ever  heard. 
Lord  John  Russell  said  the  same.  I  thought  it 
somewhat  strange  that  Hawkins  and  his  first 
speech  should  be  so  soon  forgotten.  The  debate 
was  adjourned,  and  I  then  introduced  my  Factory 
Bill. 

July  5. — Macaulay  made  a  most  effective 
oration,  and  was  applauded  to  the  skies,  particu- 
larly towards  the  end  of  his  speech,  when  he 
said  that,  if  this  Bill  was  defeated,  Peel  would 
bring  in  a  Reform  Bill  of  his  own.  Sir  Robert 
winced  a  good  deal,  and  it  was  expected  would 


120  LONDON  CHAP.  XI. 

1831.  have  followed  Macaulay,  but  William  Bankes 
rose  and  made  one  of  the  most  extraordinary 
exhibitions  I  had  ever  seen.  He  whined,  clasped 
his  hands,  and  put  himself  into  attitudes,  con- 
cluding one  of  his  sentences  thus :  "The  Lord 
deliver  us  out  of  their  hands,  I  say !  "  To  be 
sure  he  was  in  earnest,  for  the  Bill  annihilated 
the  Corfe  Castle  dynasty. 

Lord  Althorp  followed,  and  Sir  George  Murray 
then  spoke.  He  described  the  approaching  down- 
fall of  the  monarchy,  the  rise  of  another  Crom- 
well, and  the  degradation  of  the  House  of  Peers 
under  a  Lord  Chancellor  who  would  administer 
to  them  "  Friendly  advice,"  alluding,  it  was 
supposed,  to  a  pamphlet  with  that  title,  addressed 
to  the  Lords,  and  generally  attributed  to 
Brougham. 

The  debate  was  resumed  the  next  day,  when 
Peel  spoke  for  more  than  two  hours.  The  speech, 
for  his  purpose,  was  admirable ;  and  I  perceived 
that  some  of  our  converts,  Harcourt  Vernon  for 
instance,  winced  under  his  whipping.  He  was 
very  dexterous,  and  comparatively  moderate, 
avowing  that,  if  the  feeling  for  Reform  was 
permanent,  he  did  not  see  how  it  could  be 
resisted. 

He  ended  about  three  in  the  morning,  when 
Burdett,  who  for  the  first  time  spoke  from  the 
floor,  answered  Peel  as  well  as  he  could  be 
answered,  treating  him  civilly,  but  stripping  him 
of  some  of  his  details,  and  putting  the  question 


CHAP.  XI.  DOM    PEDRO   AND    PAGANINI  121 

fairly  before  the  House.  Some  youngsters  op- 
posite  tried  to  put  him  out  by  calling  "  Question," 
but  we  cheered  him  on,  and  he  finished  a  very 
effective  speech  about  four  o'clock. 

There  were  367  in  the  House,  and  231  went 
out ;  leaving  a  majority  of  136  in  favour  of 
Ministers. 

July  9. — There  was  a  banquet  at  the  Mansion 
House  on  the  occasion  of  presenting  Lord  John 
Russell  with  the  freedom  of  the  City.  I  was 
one  of  the  guests  at  the  Mansion  House,  and 
must  say  that  it  was  a  very  splendid  affair.  His 
Majesty  Dom  Pedro  was  there.  He  was  a 
pleasing-looking  person. 

Lord  John  Eussell  occupied  the  chair  next 
to  the  Lady  Mayoress,  and,  just  as  we  thought 
his  health  was  to  be  given,  in  came  Signor 
Paganini,  in  great  ceremony,  preceded  by  the 
stewards  of  the  festival,  and,  mounting  a  chair 
immediately  behind  Lord  Plunket,  played  a 
concerto  on  his  violin.  I  was  disgusted,  so  was 
Hume ;  but  the  company  generally  were  charmed. 
Reform  seemed  pretty  much  forgotten.  I  confess 
I  felt  angry  that  Burdett  should  be  eclipsed, 
thinking  that,  if  Reform  had  anything  to  do 
with  the  feast,  he  ought  of  all  men  to  have  been 
somewhat  exalted ;  and  I  could  not  help  re- 
membering that  John  Russell  had  said  in  Par- 
liament, in  1829,  that  he  would  never  introduce 
a  Reform  motion  again ;  and  there  he  was — 
with  Lord  Lansdowne,  and  such  patriots  as 
VOL.  iv  16 


122  LONDON  CHAP.  XI. 

1831.  Palmerston  and  the  Grants — carrying  off  all  the 
honours  of  the  day.  The  kingdom  of  honest 
politicians  is  certainly  not  of  this  world. 

In  the  evening  of  July  10  I  received  a  note 
from  Mr.  Brodie,  the  eminent  surgeon,  afterwards 
Sir  Benjamin,  and  President  of  the  Royal  Society, 
informing  me  that  my  father  was  much  worse. 
The  next  day  I  did  not  attend  the  House,  and 
asked  Lord  Morpeth  to  move  the  second  reading 
of  my  Factory  Bill  for  me. 

July  12. — At  House  of  Commons.  The  Oppo- 
sition moved  seven  or  eight  adjournments  to 
prevent  the  Speaker  leaving  the  Chair,  and  the 
House  sat  till  seven  in  the  morning,  when  the 
Government  succeeded  in  committing  the  Bill 
pro  forma. 

July  14. — The  tactics  of  our  opponents  were 
now  to  create  delay  by  every  available  stratagem. 
Even  Peel  took  up  great  part  of  an  evening  on 
a  verbal  dispute  about  leaving  out  the  word  each 
before  the  word  borough.  On  this  we  had  a 
majority  of  290  to  193. 

The  next  day  I  sat  until  near  two  in  the 
morning.  The  debate  arose  on  a  motion  of  Sir 
Andrew  Agnew,  for  clubbing  boroughs  instead  of 
disfranchising  them.  We  divided,  and  had  316 
to  205 — a  majority  which  satisfied  our  Ministers, 
who  had  previously  complained  of  declining 
numbers.  After  a  long  and  desultory  conversa- 
tion, it  was  at  last  agreed  that  our  Chairman, 
Mr.  Spring  B/ice,  having  read  the  words  "  Aid- 


CHAP.  XL    THE   TREASURY   BENCH   IS   OVER-MEEK    123 

borough,  Suffolk,"  the  first  borough  in  Schedule  A 
had  been  disfranchised.     So  we  separated,  having, 
after  four  nights'  debate,  accomplished  something 
—but  very  little. 

FROM  DIARY. 

July  16. — Dined  at  Mr.  Balfour's — a  large 
party.  Had  some  conversation  with  Lord  Mait- 
land  and  Lord  Dudley,  on  whom  I  endeavoured 
to  impress  the  necessity  of  yielding  to  the  popular 
wish  on  the  Bill.  The  first  told  me  the  Bill 
would  be  thrown  out  on  second  reading  in  the 
Lords.  The  latter  told  me  nothing,  but  I  hope 
I  frightened  him.  He  seemed  shy  of  talking  on 
the  subject. 

July  21. — At  House  of  Commons,  where  Lord 
Althorp  moved  that  Reform  should  precede  all 
business  every  day  at  five.  Wynne  protested 
violently,  and  after  some  words  from  Goulburn 
and  Milton,  our  good  man  gave  way,  and  agreed 
that  there  should  be  an  understanding,  not  a 
standing  order. 

Peel  took  occasion  to  tell  Althorp  to  trust  to 
his  own  good  sense  and  good  temper,  and  not 
listen  to  the  newspapers.  This  he  said  in  the 
most  insolent  and  angry  tone,  which  annoyed 
me,  and  I  had  half  a  mind  to  reply;  but  as 
Althorp  bore  it,  1  thought  it  would  be  bad  taste 
to  try  to  anger  him,  but  all  around  me  com- 
plained of  his  patience,  and  indeed  our  Treasury 
Bench  is  over-meek. 


124  LONDON  CHAP.  XI. 

I  heard  part  of  a  debate  on  Bingham  Baring's 
treatment  of  the  Benches.1  Althorp  declared 
against  the  part  taken  by  the  press  in  this  affair, 
and  was  loudly  cheered  by  Peel,  who  seemed  to 
be  appeased  during  the  debate  on  Reform  which 
followed,  for  he  witnessed  the  extinction  of 
borough  after  borough  without  a  word. 

July  22. — Sir  R.  Hardinge  told  me  to-day  that 
the  Bill  would  not  pass  the  Lords,  at  least  not 
without  some  compromise.  I  can  hear  of  no 
converts  amongst  the  Peers. 

July  26.— We  finished  Schedule  A  of  the 
Reform  Bill  after  a  sort  of  funeral  oration  on 
Wootton-Basset  by  Lord  Por Chester,  whose  chief 
merit,  according  to  his  Lordship,  was  the  having 
returned  Lord  Bolingbroke  to  Parliament.  Mr. 
O'Connell  reminded  him  that  it  had  also  returned 
"  Walsh,"  the  swindler.  Lord  Mahon  called  this 
"  an  indecent  personality." 

July  29. — We  got  on  so  slowly  with  our  Bill 
that  even  Lord  Althorp  became  impatient,  and 
said  to  me,  "  How  the  devil  shall  we  get  on  with 
our  Bill  ?  "  I  had  some  conversation  also  with 
Stanley,  Graham,  and  Lord  John  Russell.  The 
latter  told  me  that  Brougham  was  anxious  that 
the  Attorney-General  should  be  put  forward,  and 
was  always  grumbling  at  the  delay.  It  seems 
he  depreciates  Macaulay  and  always  extols  the 

1  The  Bench  of  Bishops.  Lord  Grey  had  appealed  to  the  Bishops 
to  vote  for  the  Bill,  telling  them  that  if  they  did  not  do  so  they 
would  become  just  objects  of  popular  odium. 


CHAP.  XI.     "  NOT  CONTENT  WITH  BEING  A  MOON  "     125 

Attorney  as  having  made  the  best  speech  on  the     issi. 
Bill.     Sydney  Smith  says  it  is  because  Macaulay 
is   not   content  with  being  a  moon,  but   "  wants 
to  do  a  little  bit  in  the  solar  line.'9 

Lord  Althorp  moved  that  the  House  should 
sit  on  Saturday.  Peel  was  very  angry,  and  de- 
clared he  would  not  do  so,  but  Lord  Althorp 
persevered,  and,  at  three  in  the  morning,  carried 
his  point. 

July  30. — We  got  on  quietly  with  Schedule  B, 
PARALYSING,  as  it  was  said,  borough  after  borough 
until  we  got  to  Sudbury — a  case  which,  with 
Totnes,  we  consented  to  postpone ;  and  so  finished 
the  schedule.  William  Bankes  gave  us  a  "  Jere- 
miad "  on  Marlborough. 

Lord  Duncannon  told  me  to-day  that  it  was 
as  much  as  he  could  do  to  keep  Althorp  and 
Graham  last  night  to  the  sticking  point.  They 
were  wishing  to  give  up.  He  wished  me  to  tell 
them  what  I  thought,  but  when  I  spoke  to 
Althorp,  all  he  said  was,  "Do  you  think  so?" 
Everybody  begins  to  complain  of  the  tone  taken 
by  Ministers,  who  speak  as  if  they  were  at  the 
head  of  a  minority,  both  in  the  House  and  the 
country. 

EBOM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

August  1. — I  attended  the  ceremony  of  open- 
ing the  new  London  Bridge  by  the  King  and 
Queen.  I  passed  over  Waterloo  Bridge,  and  saw 
an  indescribable  sight.  The  river  and  the  banks 


126  LONDON  CHAP.  XI. 

of  it  were  one  mass  of  human  beings ;  but  the 
view  from  the  new  bridge  itself  was  still  more 
wonderful.  The  newspapers  gave  a  very  striking 
and  accurate  account  of  the  scene.  The  contrast 
of  the  poor  old  bridge  with  the  magnificent  new 
structure  was  very  striking  ;  and  the  preparations 
for  receiving  their  Majesties,  and  other  guests 
to  the  number  of  1,700,  were  most  superb,  and 
worthy  of  the  metropolis  of  the  civilised  world. 
Captain  Basil  Hall  and  Sir  Francis  Chantrey 
walked  up  and  down  with  me,  each  of  us  ex- 
pressing his  unbounded  admiration  of  the  sight, 
and  I  recollect  a  saying  of  our  great  sculptor  on 
this  day,  that,  "  of  all  the  countless  thousands 
around  us,  probably  there  was  not  a  man  who 
had  not  a  guinea  in  his  pocket.''  I  mentioned 
this  to  Burdett  just  afterwards,  and  he  said, 
"  Does  that  make  for  or  against  Reform  ?  " 

The  Royal  party  came  about  four  o'clock. 
Their  procession  of  boats  was  almost  lost  on  the 
bosom  of  the  mighty  river;  but  wherever  the 
small  pinnace  with  the  Royal  standard  was  recog- 
nised, tremendous  cheering  and  waving  of  hats 
and  handkerchiefs,  and  every  other  demonstration 
of  loyalty  and  joy,  ensued.  I  was  at  the  head 
of  the  corner-table,  just  at  the  top  of  the  stairs 
which  the  King  ascended.  His  Majesty  and  the 
Queen  stopped  to  look  down  the  vista  in  the 
long  tent,  where  the  company  were  all  standing  to 
receive  them.  The  sight  was  indeed  magnificent, 
and  I  heard  that  our  good  King  confessed  that 


CHAP.  XI.    ROYAL   OPENING   OF   LONDON   BRIDGE      127 

he  had  never  seen  anything  like  it.  I,  who  had 
seen  a  great  many  sights,  said  the  same  to  those 
near  me. 

After  parading  to  the  other  end  of  the  bridge, 
and  seeing  the  balloon  go  off,  their  Majesties 
returned  to  their  seats  under  the  canopy,  and  the 
banquet  began.  Everything  went  off  very  well, 
except  that  the  City  sages  would  have  Michael 
Boai  play  "God  save  the  King  "  upon  his  chin; 
not  quite  so  musical  as  Paganini's  violin  at  the 
Mansion  House.  The  party  rose  about  six  o'clock, 
and  the  King  and  Queen  returned  by  water  to 
Somerset  House.  The  procession  returned  in  more 
splendid  order  than  it  came,  for  it  was  joined  by 
the  great  City  barges,  and  the  river  was  covered 
with  boats  and  flags,  and  Southwark  Bridge 
looked  black  with  the  crowds  that  covered  it. 
The  ceremony  of  this  day  was  on  the  whole  one 
of  the  most  successful,  and  so  acknowledged 
by  every  one,  tbat  our  huge  metropolis  ever 
witnessed. 

The  Reform  Committee  got  into  Schedule  C 
on  August  2 ;  and  Manchester,  Birmingham,  and 
Leeds  had  two  Members  given  to  each  of  them, 
after  some  talk  from  Peel  and  Baring,  but  with- 
out a  division. 

August  3. — Sir  Robert  Peel  made  a  good  speech 
against  giving  Members  to  the  Metropolitan 
boroughs ;  and,  when  I  came  to  the  House,  I 
found  A.  Baring  speaking  on  the  same  side. 
Lord  Althorp  called  me  to  him,  and  said,  "  Now, 


128  LONDON  CHAP.  XI. 

1831.  master,  you  must  take  off  your  muzzle  to-night." 
I  told  him  that  I  had  not  heard  any  speech 
except  Peel's.  "That  will  do,"  said  he;  and 
accordingly  I  went  to  the  third  hench  behind 
the  Treasury,  and,  when  Baring  sat  down,  rose 
at  once.  I  recollect  that  effort  with  no  little 
pride.  It  was  hy  far  the  most  successful  I  had 
ever  made ;  hut  it  was  more  to  the  general 
question  of  Reform  than  to  the  matter  then  in 
debate.  There  was  great  cheering  when  I  sat 
down.  Charles  Grant  handed  up  a  scrap  of 
paper  to  me,  on  which  was  written,  "  HOW  I 
ENVY  YOU  !  "  I  folded  it  up,  and  have  kept  it 
ever  since ;  for  my  friend  was  no  flatterer,  and, 
being  himself  a  first-rate  Parliamentary  speaker, 
his  judgment  might  be  depended  upon.  I  re- 
ceived congratulations  on  all  sides,  and  Mr.  Goul- 
burn,  who  followed  me,  said  that  "  he  had  heard 
me  with  admiration."  I  afterwards  received  civil 
speeches  and  messages  from  men  of  all  parties; 
yet  the  reporters  made  very  little  of  my  speech, 
and,  according  to  the  Times,  Aldermen  Wood  and 
Waithman  were  the  foremost  men  of  all  that  night. 
However,  I  hoped  that  I  had  done  good  by  taking, 
and  teaching  others  to  take,  the  right  tone.  "We 
had  a  large  majority,  about  97 ;  much  to  the  dis- 
appointment, so  I  was  told,  of  Sir  Robert  Peel, 
who  considered  our  Metropolitan  enfranchisements 
our  weakest  case ;  and  so  it  was :  London,  West- 
minster, Southwark,  and  four  County  Members, 
were  quite  enough  for  all  purposes. 


CHAP.  XI.     DEATH    OF    SIB,   BENJAMIN    HOBHOUSE      129 

At  this  time  my  father  became  so  much  worse 
in  health  that  I  requested  Dr.  Warren  to  see 
him.  When  I  heard  his  opinion,  I  asked  Sir 
Robert  Inglis  to  get  a  fortnight's  leave  of  absence 
for  me  from  the  House  of  Commons.  Prom  that 
day  I  lived  more  in  Berkeley  Square  than  in  my 
own  house. 

The  last  day  that  my  father  seemed  in  complete 
possession  of  his  senses  was  August  12.  He  then 
asked  me  how  the  Reform  Bill  was  going  on, 
and  whether  all  would  end  peaceably.  The  last 
words  he  uttered  to  me  were,  "  John,  do  not  let 
them  leave  me."  "  Never  be  afraid  of  that,"  I 
replied.  He  then  said,  "  I  am  not  afraid  of  any- 
thing." Mr.  Brodie  was  a  great  comfort  to  the 
family,  and  tried  to  persuade  my  sisters  to  leave 
the  room;  but  they  would  not.  They  remained 
with  him  to  the  last.  He  died  between  six  and 
seven  o'clock  on  August  14.  Having  watched 
him  when  he  was  in  his  last  agonies,  I  was 
astounded  at  the  calmness  with  which  I  con- 
templated him  when  all  was  over.  His  frame  was 
no  longer  convulsed.  The  calm  of  his  benignant 
countenance  was  unruffled  by  the  moans  which 
had  been  extorted  from  him  by  pain  and  sleepless 
weariness.  I  kissed  his  cold  hand,  and  cut  off 
a  lock  of  his  grey  hair. 

From  the  death-bed  of  my  father  I  was  called 
to  attend  to  my  wife,  who  again  had  alarming 
symptoms  that  induced  me  to  send  for  Dr.  Warren. 
She  was  much  attached  to  my  father,  who  was 

VOL.  iv  17 


130  LONDON  CHAP.  XI. 

1831.  very  fond  of  her,  and  the  news,  which  I  was 
compelled  to  communicate,  was  doubtless  injurious 
to  her.  I  was  present  at  her  last  interview  with 
him.  I  shall  never  forget  the  smile  with  which 
he  bade  her  farewell ! 

I  shall  say  no  more  of  him  here.  Indeed,  it 
would  be  altogether  superfluous,  as  I  have  pub- 
lished more  than  one  short  Memoir  of  him;  not 
equal,  it  is  true,  to  his  real  merit,  nor  adequately 
descriptive  of  his  valuable  character,  but  still, 
as  I  hope,  sufficient  to  show  my  affection  and 
reverence  for  this  good  man. 

EB.OM  DIARY. 

August  28. — To-morrow  I  return  to  my  abhorred 
public  duty.  Not  the  control  of  or  partaking  in 
any  great  national  concern,  which  I  might  under- 
take with  pride  and  hope ;  but  the  dull  business 
of  a  House  of  Commons  life,  and  the  fruitless 
endeavour  to  satisfy  selfish,  silly,  and  unreasonable 
men. 

September  7. — Went  to  the  House  of  Commons, 
and  stayed  there  to  witness  the  Reform  Bill  get 
out  of  Committee,  which  it  did  at  about  seven 
o'clock.  There  were  not  many  Members  present, 
but  the  Reformers  gave  a  cheer  when  Bernal  left 
the  Chair.  I  find  Members  are  becoming  quite 
wearied  and  almost  indifferent  about  the  Bill. 

September  12. — Burdett  told  me  that  Calcraft l 

1  John  Calcraft,  M.P.  for  Dorset,  was,  like  his  father,  a  Whig, 
but  joined  the  Tories  in  1828.  He,  however,  voted  for  the  Reform 
BUI. 


CHAP.  XI.  THE   PEERS   AND   REFORM  131 

had  killed  himself.  His  daughter  Arabella  left  issi. 
him  to  go  to  church;  returning,  she  was  told 
her  father  had  not  rung  his  hell  for  some  time. 
She  waited  a  little  and  then  went  to  his  room; 
on  opening  the  door  she  saw  him  on  the  floor 
with  his  throat  cut,  quite  dead.  The  Tories 
attribute  this  to  remorse ;  I  believe  politics  had 
nothing  to  do  with  the  matter.  He  had  lost  his 
head  from  excessive  worrying,  I  hear.  However, 
this  is  the  fourth  public  man  who  has  destroyed 
himself. 

September  19. — At  House  of  Commons,  where  I 
learnt  that,  owing  to  some  mistake,  the  Reform 
Bill  had  been  read  a  third  time  without  a  dis- 
cussion. A  debate  arose,  however,  on  the  question 
"that  this  Bill  do  pass."  Stanley  and  Macaulay 
spoke  well ;  the  latter  made  one  of  his  essays. 

September  21. — I  attended  a  "Westminster  meet- 
ing in  Covent  Garden  to  petition  the  Lords  to 
pass  the  Bill.  I  saw  George  Dawson  and  R.  A. 
Dundas  in  the  balcony  opposite — come  to  spy  the 
nakedness  of  the  land. 

The  foolish  Tories  now  try  to  make  it  believed 
that  the  People  are  beginning  to  be  indifferent. 
They  will  pull  an  old  house  over  their  heads,  if 
they  do  not  take  care. 

PROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

September  21. — I  went  to  the  House  of  Com- 
mons. At  a  quarter  to  three  o'clock  Sir  Robert 
Peel  rose,  and  made  what  was  thought  a  very 


132  ,     LONDON  CHAP.  XI. 

1831.  brilliant  speech,  foretelling  the  downfall  of  the 
monarchy  and  many  uncomfortable  events.  One 
great  mistake  he  made  in  reminding  the  House 
of  the  question  I  had  put  to  him  about  resigning, 
but  choosing  to  omit  that  I  had  made  an  apology 
for  that  indiscretion.  The  bad  taste  and  bad 
feeling  of  that  reminder  struck  most  of  us  on 
our  side ;  and  when  he  tried  to  be  smart  upon 
Macaulay,  he  did  not  at  all  succeed,  nor  did  he 
ever  in  that  line — so  that  it  might  be  said  of  him, 
as  Quintilian  said  of  Demosthenes,  (( Illi  non 
displicuisse  jocos,  sed  non  contigisse."  He  was, 
however,  loudly  cheered  on  sitting  down. 

We  divided  at  twenty-five  minutes  past  four  in 
the  morning.  The  numbers  were  declared  at  five 
o'clock — 346  to  235 — and  at  seven  minutes  past 
five  the  Speaker  said,  "That  Lord  John  Russell 
do  carry  this  Bill  to  the  Lords,  and  request  their 
Lordships'  concurrence."  We  gave  a  great  cheer. 
We  thought  our  majority  satisfactory;  that  was 
not  the  common  opinion,  and  it  was  true  that 
our  friends  were  rather  slack  in  their  attendance. 
For  example,  Lord  Uxbridge  and  Captain  Byng 
preferred  staying  at  the  Doncaster  races  to  their 
Parliamentary  duties. 

FROM  DIARY. 

September  22. — I  accompanied  Russell  with  the 
Bill  to  the  Lords.  The  House  was  crowded.  The 
Lord  Chancellor  came  to  the  Bar  very  solemnly ; 
but,  methought,  looked  a  little  arch  when  R/ussell 


CHAP.  XI.  AN   INJUDICIOUS   "  IF  "  133 

presented  the  Bill.     Lord  Grey  came   in,  and  a     issi. 
good  many  of  us  stayed  to  hear  him  fix  the  second 
reading  for  Monday  week. 

Sir  Henry  Hardinge  had  some  conversation  with 
me ;  and  I  told  him  of  the  strong  resolutions 
passed  at  Lord  Ebrington's,  of  supporting  Govern- 
ment in  very  strong  measures — prorogation  of 
Parliament,  creation  of  Peers,  reintroduction  of 
the  Bill,  and  suspension  of  Standing  Orders.  He 
said  that  the  result  would  be  a  fight.  He  felt 
sure  the  Lords  would  reject  the  Bill. 

Lord  Grey  to-night  made  use  of  the  words,  "  If 
the  Bill  is  read,  which  I  trust  it  will  be."  A 
very  injudicious  "if." 

Hardinge  comes  to  get  what  he  can  out  of  me. 
Of  course  I  tell  him  no  lies,  nor  no  truths,  except 
such  as  I  think  he  ought  to  propagate.  'Tis  an 
awful  moment,  that  is  certain. 

September  24. — I  attended  the  great  dinner 
given  to  the  Ministers  at  Stationers'  Hall. 
There  were  260  guests,  and  all  the  arrangements 
were  as  good  as  possible — so  were  most  of  the 
speeches.  I  remarked  that  the  company  was,  to 
the  full,  as  noisy  and  impatient  as  our  Westminster 
tradesmen  at  the  Crown  and  Anchor,  although 
representing  the  greatest  and  proudest  families 
in  our  Empire. 

September  30. — At  four  o'clock  I  went  to  the 
House  of  Commons,  and  got  through  the  Com- 
mittee on  my  Vestry  Bill  with  only  one  alteration 
in  it. 


134  LONDON  CHAP.  XI. 

1831.  There  are  various  rumours  as  to  the  number 
by  which  the  Reform  Bill  will  be  rejected  by  the 
Lords ;  but  all  agree  it  will  be  lost. 

October  3. — The  great  debate  commenced  to-day 
in  the  Lords.  Lord  Grey  spoke  three  hours,  in 
his  best  style,  and  appealed  to  the  Bishops  in  a 
way  which  showed  he  despaired  of  their  votes. 
Lord  "Wharncliffe  moved  the  absolute  rejection  of 
the  Bill,  in  terms  which  he  withdrew  afterwards, 
and  substituted  the  usual  form,  deferring  the  Bill 
for  six  months.  The  House  was  quite  full,  and 
fitted  up  with  galleries,  as  at  the  Queen's  trial. 

I  heard  the  Duke  of  Wellington  make  one  of 
the  poorest  speeches  he  ever  made.  He  gave 
quite  a  different  account  of  his  resignation  from 
that  given  by  Sir  R.  Peel ;  said  Reform  had 
nothing  to  do  with  it,  and  begged  their  Lord- 
ships not  to  pledge  themselves  either  way  about 
Reform.  He  added,  whatever  had  been  his 
opinion  as  a  man,  yet  as  a  Minister  he  had 
opposed  Reform.  In  short,  his  Grace  made  a 
shabby,  shuffling  speech,  very  like  a  man  wanting 
office  again. 

Lord  Harrowby,  though  recommending  modera- 
tion, was  very  bitter  and  personal.  The  general 
result  was  now  pretty  well  known,  but  the 
numbers  of  the  majority  were  guessed  at  very 
variously. 

This  night  I  read  my  Factory  Bill  a  third  time, 
and  passed  it.  I  also  brought  up  the  Report 
on  my  Vestry  Bill  at  near  two  in  the  morning. 


CHAP.  XL        SOCIAL   REFORM    BILLS    PASSED  135 

October  5. — I  carried  up  my  Factory  Bill  and  issi, 
several  other  Bills  to  the  Lords.  The  Lord 
Chancellor  seemed  in  a  merry  mood.  I  was 
obliged  to  go  to  the  House  of  Commons,  and 
it  was  half-past  one  before  I  could  move  the 
third  reading  of  my  Vestry  Bill.  Mr.  Trevor 
proposed  an  adjournment,  and  was  supported 
by  George  Dawson  and  my  friend  Sir  Robert 
Inglis.  We  divided  38  against  8 ;  and  my 
opponents  not  knowing  what  to  do  next,  I 
carried  my  Bill  at  last,  for  which  thank  Heaven ! 
It  is  a  very  great  reform  indeed  ! 

October  6. — I  carried  up  my  Vestry  Bill,  with 
other  Bills,  to  the  Lords.  Lord  Tenterden  re- 
ceived them  from  me.  On  my  bringing  up  the 
second  Bill,  he  said  to  me,  "  I  beg  your  pardon, 
sir,  for  not  bowing  to  you  before."  I  did  not 
know  what  he  meant ;  but  perhaps  he  recollected 
that  the  last  time  he  had  spoken  to  me  was  when 
I  was  brought  before  him  and  the  other  Judges 
of  the  Court  of  King's  Bench,  to  move  for  my 
release  from  Newgate,  when  he  called  me  "the 
prisoner  at  the  Bar." 

October  7. — I  called  on  Lord  Ebrington  about 
the  projected  meeting  of  House  of  Commons 
Reformers,  the  day  after  the  rejection  of  the 
Bill.  Lord  Ebrington  had  seen  the  Lord  Chan- 
cellor in  the  morning.  He  seemed  somewhat 
fearful  of  popular  tumult,  and  said  he  hoped 
that  I  would  not  use  violent  language  in  debate. 

I  told  him  there  was  no  fear  of  my  using  violent 


136  LONDON  CHAP.  XI. 

1831.  language.  Indeed,  it  was  silly  of  Lord  Ebrington 
to  dread  such  a  thing.  We  Parliamentarians  are, 
for  the  most  part,  mealy-mouthed,  and  fall  into 
the  opposite  extreme. 

Ebrington  said  that  the  debate  would  finish 
to-night,  because  Government  did  not  like  it  to 
end  on  a  Saturday  evening,  when  workmen  were 
paid  off.  Here  is  a  precaution  indeed  !  !  How- 
ever, no  one  seemed  to  think  the  debate  could 
end  before  Monday,  so  I  resolved  to  visit  my 
family  at  Brighton. 

October  8.     Saturday.  —  A  dark,  stormy  day— 
"  big  with  the  fate,"  etc.     About  three  o'clock  I 
saw  a  newspaper,  the  Advertiser.     Bill  lost  by  a 
majority  0 


Against.  For. 

Present     .         .     150  128 

Proxies  49  30 


199  158 

The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  made  a  short 
speech  against,  and  led  off  twenty  Bishops  with 
him.  Only  two  Bishops  for  the  Bill.  The  House 
adjourned  at  twenty  minutes  past  six  in  the 
morning. 

October  9. — The  Tories  give  out  Grey  has 
resigned.  Brougham's  speech  said  by  Lord  Grey 
to  be  miraculous,  and  everybody  talking  of  it 
in  the  same  strain.  I  read  it  attentively,  and, 
excepting  the  sarcasms  and  replies  ad  hominem, 
did  not  see  anything  so  wonderful  in  the  per- 


CHAP.  XL     BROUGHAMS    SPEECH    ON    REFORM 


137 


formance.  He  ended  by  kneeling  down  on  one 
knee,  and  drank  a  bottle  of  mulled  port  during 
the  performance. 

The  Chronicle  is  in  mourning.  The  Times, 
Herald,  and  other  papers  assuming  an  awful 
tone.  The  Common  Council  and  Merchants  and 
Bankers  of  London  are  to  meet  immediately, 
and  of  course  the  Westminster  Reformers. 


1831. 


VOL.    IV 


18 


CHAPTER  XII 

FROM  BOOK,  "RECOLLECTIONS." 

1831.  October  10. — I  went  to  a  Westminster  meeting 
at  the  Crown  and  Anchor,  the  largest  meeting 
I  ever  met  in  the  great  room  there.  Everything 
passed  off  with  the  greatest  spirit  and  propriety  ; 
nothing  could  be  better,  except  that  I  had  my 
pocket  picked  as  I  was  borne  through  the  crowd, 
amidst  great  cheering,  to  the  top  of  the  room. 
As  there  was  a  call  of  the  House,  we  shortened 
our  proceedings,  and  I  went  down  to  answer 
my  name  there,  and,  although  it  was  not  twelve 
o'clock,  could  hardly  find  a  place  vacant. 

When  the  debate  came  on,  Lord  Ebrington 
moved  his  resolution  for  standing  by  the  Ministers 
and  their  Bill ;  but  his  tone  was  very  moderate. 
Dundas,  M.P.  for  Berkshire,  seconded  him  in 
an  equally  moderate  style :  so  it  appeared  to 
me,  who  was  ready  to  speak  and  expected  to 
do  so,  that  it  would  be  very  difficult  to  take  a 
properly  spirited  line.  Macaulay  made  a  speech, 
and  took  a  totally  different  view  of  the  question 
from  Ebrington.  He  went  somewhat  near  the 
wind  on  the  intimidation  side  ;  and  I  told  him 
so,  and  I  saw  he  was  not  pleased.  I  took 

138 


CHAP.  XII.  DEMOCRATIC   UPHEAVALS  139 

that  liberty  as  an  older  Member  and  an  older 
man. 

Our  opponents  were  in  low  spirits.  Goulburn, 
as  usual,  was  of  no  use  to  them.  Even  Peel  was 
humble ;  deprecating  a  division  for  fear  of  pledg- 
ing Members  to  the  rejected  Bill,  and  referring 
to  Tom  Duncombe's  recommendation  of  mutual 
concession  1  The  moderation  of  T.  D.  showed  that 
clever  gentleman  in  a  totally  new  character.  We 
had  a  great  majority — 329  to  198. 

This  same  day  came  news  of  disturbances  at 
Derby,  and  of  the  burning  of  Nottingham  Castle, 
the  property  of  the  Duke  of  Newcastle.  One  or 
two  of  the  Bishops  were  insulted  going  to  the 
House;  and  Phillpotts,  Bishop  of  Exeter,  com- 
plained of  it  in  Parliament,  I  heard  Lord  Grey 
put  down  this  same  Bishop,  in  the  House,  for 
accusing  him  of  inflaming  the  people  against  the 
Bishops.  Lord  Grey  spoke  to  him  in  a  tone  of 
the  most  contemptuous  severity,  and,  when  he 
rose  to  interrupt,  told  him  to  be  silent,  as  if  he 
was  speaking  to  a  noisy  child. 

October  12. — I  went  to  Court  to  present  ad- 
dresses from  the  electors  assembled  at  the  Crown 
and  Anchor,  the  parishioners  of  St.  Anne's,  West- 
minster, and  other  large  bodies  of  Metropolitan 
electors.  I  was  surprised  on  going  into  the 
streets  to  find  the  shops  shut,  and  a  great  many 
ill-looking  and  ill-dressed  people  standing  about. 
There  was  something  in  the  look  and  manners 
of  the  crowds  which,  I  confess,  I  did  not  like. 


140  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1831.  In  Bond  Street  I  saw  a  large  placard  with  this 
inscription  :  "  199  versus  22,000,000  !  "  and  I  went 
into  the  house  to  persuade  the  shopman  to  take 
it  down.  He  was  a  shoemaker,  and,  though  very 
civil,  was  very  firm,  and  refused  to  remove  the 
placard,  saying  he  had  only  done  as  others  had 
done.  When  I  told  him  who  I  was,  he  said, 
"Oh,  I  know  you  very  well";  hut  he  still  de- 
clined to  follow  my  advice. 

There  was  a  strong  force  of  police  and  of  Horse 
Guards  near  St.  James's  Palace.  A  line  of  the 
latter  was  drawn  across  Pall  Mall  to  keep  off 
a  crowd,  whose  banners  I  saw  beyond  the  soldiers, 
and  whose  shouts  I  heard.  Processions  paraded 
the  Mall,  which  might  have  been  seen  by  the 
King  from  the  Palace  windows.  The  parishioners 
from  St.  Pan  eras  had,  besides  their  banners,  two 
red  caps  of  liberty,  and  they  huzzaed  lustily ;  but 
I  saw  no  violence  of  any  kind,  nor  heard  of  any 
disaster. 

As  I  had  not  been  to  Court  since  the  death  of 
my  father,  I  was  presented  by  Lord  Lansdowne ; 
at  least,  his  name  was  on  my  card.  I  presented 
the  petitions  to  His  Majesty,  and  met  with  a  most 
gracious  reception.  He  spoke  to  me  of  my  father, 
and  said,  "  I  fear  he  suffered  much  at  the  last." 
He  then  inquired  after  Lady  H.  and  my  sisters, 
and  behaved  to  me  with  marked  kindness  and 
attention. 

I  went  to  the  House  of  Commons  through 
masses  of  people,  who  were  noisy  enough,  but 


CHAP.  XII.      "  A   ROLLICKING   RODOMONTADE  "          141 

not  mischievous.  I  was  much  vexed,  however, 
to  hear  that  the  Duke  of  Wellington's  windows 
had  been  broken,  and  that  Lord  Londonderry  had 
been  wounded  by  a  stone.  These  occurrences 
were  too  true,  and  disgraceful  enough.  At  the 
House  of  Commons  I  heard  Lord  Althorp  and 
Lord  John  Russell  complained  of  as  having 
inflamed  the  populace  by  the  answers  which 
they  had  given  to  the  addresses  from  the  Bir- 
mingham Union.  A  day  or  two  before  it  was 
asserted  that  the  rejection  of  the  Bill  had  caused 
no  excitement. 

The  next  day  the  streets  were  quiet,  and  the 
crowds  had  disappeared.  The  disturbance  now 
was  transferred  to  the  House  of  Commons,  where 
Mr.  Trevor  brought  forward  his  foolish  motion 
about  rate-paying  ;  and  Sir  Charles  Wetherell 
moved,  as  an  amendment  upon  it,  his  more  foolish 
proposal  for  a  special  Commission  to  inquire  about 
the  riots  in  the  country.  This  personage  so  mis- 
behaved himself  that  it  was  charitable  to  think 
him  either  drunk  or  crazy.  He  threw  his  legs 
on  the  bench,  and  called  on  Lord  Althorp  to 
speak  up.  We  passed  the  word  that  no  notice 
should  be  taken  of  his  speech ;  but,  as  he  had 
fallen  foul  of  O'Connell,  we  could  not  prevent 
that  gentleman  from  rising  and  giving  Sir  Charles 
his  deserts.  The  castigation  was  most  complete 
and  most  severe.  He  called  Wetherell's  speech 
"  a  rollicking  rodomontade,"  and  no  epithet 
could  be  ^better  applied  to  it.  Even  Sir  H. 


142  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1831.  Hardinge  spoke  of  it  as  it  deserved;  but  soon 
turned  the  conversation  on  the  misconduct  of 
Ministers,  and  their  contributing  to  popular  ex- 
citement. He  told  me  that  he  carried  about  him 
a  small  pocket  pistol,  which  he  should  use  if 
attacked;  and  informed  me  that  the  Duke  of 
Wellington's  servants  were  armed,  and  had  orders 
to  shoot  any  one  who  attempted  to  enter  the  court- 
yard of  Apsley  House. 

I  took  the  chair  this  day  at  a  meeting  of 
parishioners  of  St.  George's,  Hanover  Square,  who 
were  called  together  to  test  the  truth  of  an 
assertion  made  by  Lord  Wharncliffe,  in  the 
Lords,  that  the  shopkeepers  in  Bond  Street  and 
St.  James's  Street  were  opposed  to  Reform.  The 
meeting  assembled  in  Farm  Street  Mews.  Lord 
Wharncliffe  himself  came,  but  did  not  address 
the  meeting. 

On  going  away  Lord  Wharncliffe  told  me  that 
a  man,  dressed  like  a  gentleman,  shook  a  rope  at 
him ;  and  he  informed  me  that  he  had  received 
threatening  letters  respecting  his  Yorkshire  man- 
sion. I  could  not  help  remarking  that,  consider- 
ing the  prominent  part  he  had  taken  against  the 
Bill,  I  was  not  surprised  at  this  news.  He 
assured  me  he  was  not  against  all  Reform,  but 
only  against  the  Bill.  I  afterwards  heard  he  was 
not  pleased  with  the  an ti- Reformers  refusing  to 
join  him  in  some  moderate  scheme ;  and  I  thought 
he  was  not  quite  satisfied  with  the  line  he  had 
taken.  There  was  a  great  meeting  in  Yorkshire 


CHAP.  XII.     LADY  JERSEY'S  ANTI-REFORM  FICTION  143 

the  day  before;  and  the  bankers  and  merchants 
of  London  met  on  this  day.  The  feeling  in  the 
country  seemed  to  be  intense. 

I  cannot  refrain  from  recording  here  that  Lady 
Jersey's  windows  overlooked  Farm  Street  Mews ; 
and  I  heard  that  fair  anti-Reformer  was  looking  out 
upon  us  revolutionists.    This  lady  I  had  the  honour 
of  knowing  well,  not  only  at  the  time  when  she 
patronised  the  Whig  party,  but  afterwards,  when 
she    adopted    a    totally   different   line ;    but   she 
never  discontinued  her  civilities  to  me.     It  may 
easily,  therefore,  be  believed  that,  when  I  heard 
her   mention    that    I    had    advised    the    mob   to 
break  her  windows,  I  was   compelled   to   give   a 
flat   denial   to   so    strange   an   invention.     I    was 
not   a  little  annoyed  at   this  attack,  in   her  own 
house,   before   some  of   her   new  friends ;   and   I 
should   have  been  glad   to  forget   it,  if   possible. 
But  I  was  not  permitted  to  do  so ;  for  the  great 
lady,  most  friendly  in   every  other  respect,  lost 
no  opportunity  of   repeating  the  scandal.      Even 
if  I   had   been  capable  of   making  so  disgraceful 
a  proposal,  it  was  impossible  the  lady  should  have 
heard  it  from  her  windows ;   the   distance  would 
not   admit  of   it.     But  it  was   neither   more   nor 
less  than  a  pure  fiction ;   and,  as    I   said   at  the 
time,  her  Ladyship  must  have  dreamt  it.1 

1  The  Editor,  years  after,  heard  this  fiction  repeated  at  dinner, 
42,  Berkeley  Square,  by  Lady  Jersey,  half  in  joke.  "  You  know,  Sir 
John,  you  told  the  mob  to  break  my  windows."  Sir  John,  para- 
phrasing the  remark  about  Waterloo  to  George  IV.,  replied,  "I  have 
heard  your  Ladyship  say  so." 


144  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1831,    EROM  DIAHY. 

October  14. — The  Lords  have  referred  my  Vestry 
Bill  to  a  select  committee.  This  I  considered  as 
tantamount  to  rejecting  it.  I  spoke  to  G.  Lamb, 
who  thought  so  too,  and  expressed  his  conviction 
that  without  parochial  reform  the  peace  of  the 
metropolis  could  not  be  preserved.  The  Duke 
of  Wellington  seems  as  eager  against  my  Bill 
as  against  Lord  J.  Russell's. 

I  went  to  Downing  Street  with  my  three 
addresses.  I  put  them  into  the  hands  of  Lord 
Grey's  secretary  and  son-in-law,  Charles  Wood 
(afterwards  Lord  Halifax),  who  told  me  that  one 
of  the  Yorkshire  addresses  to  Lord  Grey  had 
received  a  hundred  thousand  signatures. 

October  20. — Lord  Grey  addressed  a  letter  to 
me,  which  was  published  in  the  newspapers  of 
October  17,  in  which  he  promised  an  equally 
efficient  Reform  Bill  for  the  next  session  of 
Parliament.  This,  however,  did  not  satisfy  the 
impatient  metropolitans,  who  drew  up  a  memorial 
recommending  a  creation  of  Peers,  and  an  ad- 
journment of  Parliament  for  seven  days.  Ac- 
cordingly seventeen  delegates  waited  on  Lord 
Grey,  and  had  an  interview  which  was  not  very 
agreeable  to  either  party.  There  is,  it  must  be 
confessed,  a  good  deal  of  officious  interference 
and  over-anxiety  on  the  part  of  friends ;  at  the 
same  time  I  see  no  reason  to  be  surprised  at 
their  restlessness,  considering  the  state  of  the 
country  and  the  opposition  of  the  Peers. 


CHAP.  XII.  ANTI-REFORM   SUCCESSES  145 

It  is  generally  believed  that  the  Cabinet  are 
divided  upon  the  question,  and  I  gather  as  much 
from  a  letter  which  I  have  received  from  Lord 
Durham,  in  which  he  complains  of  the  hostility 
and  lukewarmness  of  friends,  and  wishes  he  was 
supported  by  such  men  as  myself. 

Just  at  this  time  comes  the  defeat  of  Ponsonby 
in  Dorsetshire,  and  the  Tories  are  going  to  try 
their  hands  in  Cambridgeshire.  The  City  Tories 
also  rejected  the  Lord  Mayor  Key,  twice  chosen 
by  the  Livery.  All  these  efforts  show  that  our 
opponents  are  resolved  to  fight  to  the  last.  I 
nevertheless  believe  that  the  majority  of  the 
Lords  now  regret  their  triumph.  They  foolishly 
thought  that  their  vote  would  turn  out  the 
Ministers;  but  now,  seeing  that  they  stay  in, 
their  apprehension  is  that  the  whole  Bill  will 
be  carried  by  a  majority  in  the  Peers,  and  no 
modification  ever  admitted,  such  as  they  might 
have  got  by  admitting  the  second  reading. 

Sir  Alexander  Cray  Grant1  told  me  he  knew 
this  was  the  case,  and  that  the  anti-E.eform.ers 
were  fools  for  their  pains.  In  the  meantime  the 
funds  rise  a  little;  this  is  attributed  to  the 
probable  settlement  of  the  Belgian  question. 

Parliament  was  prorogued  this  day,  and  «fche 
Royal  Assent  given  to  my  Vestry  Bill,  which  now 
applies  to  open  as  well  as  close  vestries. 

October  24. — I  have  read  Eouche's  Memoirs  for 

1  Sir  Alexander  Grant,  M.P.  for  Westbury,  was  Chairman  of  Com- 
mittees. 

VOL.    IV  19 


146  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1831.  the  first  time.  It  seems  incredible  that  any  man 
should  have  been  guilty  of  the  superlative  base- 
ness of  which  he  confesses  himself  guilty,  or 
rather  which  he  owns  to  and  defends.  He  says 
he  did  send  a  detail  of  the  plan  of  Napoleon's 
entrance  into  Belgium  in  1815,  by  a  Madame 
D.,  but  took  care  to  have  obstacles  thrown  in 
her  way,  so  that  she  did  not  arrive  till  after 
the  battle.  Nevertheless  Eouche  does  not  appear 
to  have  been  a  man  of  a  bad  heart.  Madame 
de  Stael  hits  off  his  character  admirably  in  her 
"  Ten  Years  of  Exile." 

PROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

November  4. — Sir  E.  Burdett  unadvisedly  took 
the  chair  at  a  meeting  of  the  working- classes, 
constituted  under  the  name  of  the  "  National 
Union."  I  knew  some  of  the  most  active  of 
these  gentlemen,  and  that  this  was  a  scheme  for 
watching  and  controlling  Members  of  Parliament. 

Burdett's  excuse  is  that  if  he  did  not  put 
himself  at  the  head  of  this  Union  some  designing 
man  or  men  would.  Whereas  the  truth  is,  and 
I  told  him  so,  that  if  he  did  not,  it  would  fall 
to  the  ground  altogether.  My  good  colleague 
generally  says  Yes,  to  the  last  speaker,  except 
in  Parliament,  where  he  always  says  No ;  at 
least,  has  done  so  for  the  greater  part  of  his 
life.  He  is  so  pure  himself  that  he  cannot 
suspect  any  one  of  artifice  or  malice.  But  his 
facility  embarrasses  his  coadjutors  very  much. 


CHAP.  XII.    MEETING   OF   THE   NATIONAL   UNION        147 

I  do  not  know  what  took  place  at  the  meeting, 
except  that  Wakley  (afterwards  Coroner  and  M.P. 
for  Einsbury)  became  completely  master  of  the 
situation,  and,  amongst  other  proofs  of  his  pre- 
dominance, contrived  to  get  a  Council  appointed 
of  which  one-half  were  to  belong  to  the  working- 
classes  ;  and,  when  Burdett  opposed  this,  Wakley 
called  him  to  order  !  !  !  The  consequence  of  this 
was,  the  Unionists  and  the  Westminster  Reformers 
came  to  a  decided  quarrel ;  and  the  latter  resolved 
to  establish  a  separate  Association,  confining  their 
objects  to  supporting  the  Ministerial  Reform  Bill 
and  preserving  the  peace  of  the  City.  The 
Unionists  announced  a  great  meeting  of  the 
working-classes  at  White  Conduit  House,  with 
Wakley  in  the  chair.  The  anti- Reformers  were 
very  vehement  in  their  preference  of  the  Union 
politicians,  which,  I  thought,  might  be  easily 
accounted  for. 

In  the  meantime,  I  was  pleased  to  hear  that 
Lord  Melbourne,  Home  Secretary,  was  on  the 
alert,  and  quite  prepared  for  any  attempts  which 
might  be  made  by  the  madmen  of  any  party.  He 
knew  that  either  the  overthrow  of  the  monarchy 
or  of  the  administration  would  be  the  inevitable 
result  of  the  contemplated  movement. 

FROM  DIARY. 

November  5. — The  Government  have  issued  a 
proclamation  in  the  King's  name,  respecting  the 
Bristol  and  other  riots,  which  Tory  papers  call 


148  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1831.  the  Reform  riots,  of  course.  It  must  be  confessed 
that  the  Administration  have  a  most  difficult 
course  to  steer,  between  the  people  on  the  one 
hand,  whom  they  are  afraid  to  appeal  to  for  fear 
of  mischief,  and  the  Tories,  who  cannot  be  con- 
ciliated, except  at  the  expense  of  character, 
consistency,  popular  support,  and  finally  their 
places.  The  true  way,  I  think,  would  be  to  buy 
off  some  of  the  most  active  agitators,  and  then 
to  take  exactly  what  course  they  thought  most 
expedient  to  carry  their  Reform,  without  caring 
for  a  paragraph  in  one  or  two  newspapers,  nor 
for  a  few  placards  or  a  Union  proclamation.  I 
suppose,  of  course,  that  they  mean  honestly 
themselves. 

Lord  Grey  is  evidently  not  blind  to  the  con- 
sequences, and  when  waited  upon  by  the  seventeen 
delegates  at  midnight,  said,  "  If  I  am  driven  from 
office  it  will  be  by  these  things,"  striking  the 
memorial  with  his  finger.  This  was  not  in  the 
newspaper  report.  I  had  it  from  one  who  was 
present.  It  was  not  surprising  that  Lord  Grey 
should  say  this,  with  seventeen  men  looking  in 
on  him  at  near  midnight,  some  of  whom  were 
such  ill-looking  fellows  that  my  friend  De  Vear 
told  me  he  got  before  one  of  them  that  Lord  Grey 
might  not  see  him.  And  then  these  men  modestly 
asked  him  to  reassemble  Parliament  in  seven  days. 

I  have  given  my  opinion  pretty  plainly  as  to 
the  propriety  of  this  proceeding,  and  displeased 
my  Westminster  friends  thereby.  The  fact  is, 


CHAP.  XII.  ANTI-REFORM    MISCHIEF  149 

most  of  the  party  went  merely  from  over  zeal 
and  officiousness;  some,  I  think,  had  projects  of 
a  very  decisive  nature. 

Lord  Grey  received  them  very  civilly,  but  he 
should  not  have  received  them  at  all,  as  any  one 
will  acknowledge  who  reads  the  use  made  of  this 
interview  in  the  Quarterly  Review.1 

FROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

November  7. — I  heard  an  anecdote  at  this  time 
which  illustrates  in  very  lively  colours  the  mis- 
chievous character  of  the  anti-Reformers.  Mr. 
Howard  Elphinstone,  afterwards  M.P.  for  Hastings, 
told  me  that,  being  at  the  late  Sussex  county 
meeting,  he  heard  George  Dawson  say  to  the 
Ministerialists,  "  You  have  brought  a  banner  here 
with  '  No  Bishops '  written  upon  it ;  and  you  do 
not  dare  to  show  it,  so  you  have  furled  it."  The 
High  Sheriff  interrupted  him.  "  Mr.  Dawson," 
said  he,  "I  cannot  permit  this.  The  banner  was 
furled  out  of  courtesy  to  me ;  it  is  no  question 
of  daring."  This  was  not  in  the  newspaper  report 
of  the  proceedings,  and,  doubtless,  was  left  out 
purposely,  in  order  that  the  reckless  malice  of 
these  gentlemen  might  not  be  exposed.  This 
would  have  made  it  manifest  that  they  wanted 

1  The  deputation  from  several  of  the  London  parishes  headed  by 
a  Mr.  Carpire,  "a  medical  man,"  and  Francis  Place,  attended  on 
the  Prime  Minister  at  midnight,  praying  his  Lordship  to  recommend 
the  King  not  to  prorogue  Parliament  for  a  longer  period  than  seven 
days.  A  full  report  of  the  interview  appeared  in  the  Courier  of 
October  3,  and  this  is  freely  I  quoted  in  an  article  on  the  state  of 
the  Government  in  the  Quarterly  Review,  Vol.  XLVI. 


150  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1831     to   create   a   commotion,    and   then   to    complain 
of  it. 

The  news  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  cholera 
at  Sunderland,  about  this  time,  alarmed  some 
people  as  much  as  the  Reform  Bill  and  dread 
of  revolution  frightened  others ;  and  with  much 
more  reason.  As  for  the  latter  panic,  there  was 
not  the  slightest  excuse,  and  Sir  Francis  Burdett, 
coming  into  contact  with  these  Unionists,  found 
them,  so  he  told  me,  perfectly  insignificant. 

FROM  DIARY. 

November  9. — Saw  Joe  Hume  and  his  good 
little  wife.  He  is  a  singular  fellow  indeed,  and 
persuades  many  people  he  understands  all  the 
subjects  he  talks  about.  He  is  to  be  made  Lord 
Rector  of  Glasgow  University  this  year,  for  the 
second  time,  I  believe,  and  a  paragraph  in  the 
Herald  tells  how  great  a  linguist  Joe  is,  and  how 
much  Greek  and  Latin,  all  Oriental,  and  most 
modern  tongues  he  knows.  "  Le  pauvre  Gil 
Perez,  a  peine  en  savait-il  les  premiers  principes." 
If  he  knows  Greek  and  Latin  it  is  without 
learning  them. 

November  10. — Burdett  has  dined  twice  with 
Lord  Grey  lately,  and  says  truly  of  him  that 
nothing  is  such  a  mistake  as  calling  him  a 
haughty,  unbending  man — quite  the  contrary,  he 
is  too  pliant,  too  easily  swayed;  and  does  not 
seem  sensible  that  he  is  the  sole  responsible 
Minister,  and  if  Reform  fails,  to  him  will  the 


CHAP.  XII.  SIB,   FRANCIS   BURDETT  151 

failure  be  imputed.  No  one  knows  anything 
except  of  "  Lord  Grey,"  either  at  home  or  abroad ; 
if  therefore  there  are  those  in  the  Cabinet  who 
disagree  with  Lord  Grey,  he  must  turn  them  out. 

PROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS. " 

November  11. — Burdett  took  the  chair  at  the 
so-called  National  Union,  and  consented  to  the 
Council  being  composed  mainly  of  artisans.  But 
these  Unionists  were  not  safe  associates,  and  Sir 
Francis  Burdett  told  me  that  he  had  been  an- 
nounced as  chairman  of  a  public  meeting  of  St. 
James's  parish  without  his  consent.  I  said,  as 
Garrick  did  to  Johnson,  "  I  shall  have  to  bail  my 
old  friend  out  of  the  round-house."  He  said, 
"  I  tell  you  what — the  more  I  see,  the  more  I 
am  convinced  that  there  is  no  having  to  do  with 
any  but  gentlemen  ;  that  is,  with  men  of  educa- 
tion." A  short  time  after  this  Sir  P.  Burdett 
withdrew  from  the  National  Political  Union. 

PROM  DIARY. 

November  12. — Edward  Ellice  complained  to  me 
of  Stanley's  going  back  to  Ireland.  Stanley  had 
said  to  him  that  the  Irish  hated  him  as  much  as 
he  hated  the  Irish.  Here  is  a  pretty  fellow  to 
govern  a  country  !  Ellice  said  Lord  Grey  was 
all  right ;  but — but — but  he  added  that  there  had 
been  certain  signs  of  conversion  amongst  the  Peers. 
He  deprecated  delay  in  Parliament  meeting ;  Lord 
Durham  called  it  worse  than  drivelling,  and 


152  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1831.  Lord  Duncannon  was  of  the  same  opinion.  Then 
whence  the  delay  ?  As  Burdett  said  to  me,  Lord 
Grey  should  turn  the  dissentients  out  of  his 
Cabinet. 

November  17. — Writing  to  De  Vear  to-day,  I 
said,  "  If  by  some  .error  in  judgment  " — for  I  am 
unwilling  to  believe  it  can  originate  from  any 
other  cause—"  Parliament  should  not  meet  soon, 
then  all  Reformers,  and  we  above  all,  must  be 
on  the  alert."  I  foresee  a  squabble  amongst  our 
Westminster  friends,  which,  if  Reform  does  not 
take  place,  will  probably  break  them  up  and  cost 
me  my  seat.  About  this  I  am  more  than  in- 
different, for  I  think  I  should  like  an  honest 
excuse  for  quitting  public  life — at  least  as  M.P. 
for  Westminster.  I  know  I  have  done  my  duty, 
and  if  others  do  not  think  so,  I  cannot  help  it. 

November  18. — Finished  Madame  de  StaeTs  De- 
launay  Memoirs,  a  very  amusing  and  very  instruc- 
tive book.  It  is  wonderful  that  whilst  there  are 
such  books  in  the  world  any  one  can  gravely 
recommend  the  old  French  regime,  in  preference 
to  the  modern  manners  and  political  condition  of 
that  country.  The  account  of  the  Castelmare 
conspiracy  shows  how  politics  and  intrigue  were 
mixed  in  the  old  courts  of  Europe.  Europe  might 
have  been  drenched  in  blood  for  the  sake  of  the 
Duchess  of  Maine's  precedence. 

November  24*. — The  Westminster  Reform  Asso- 
ciation dissolved  itself  yesterday  at  the  appearance 
of  the  proclamation,  under  pretext  of  their  rules 


CHAP.  XII.  MEETING   OF    PARLIAMENT  153 

bringing  them  within  the  law;  but,  in  fact,  be- 
cause  the  attempt  was  failing.  The  householders 
would  not  associate,  "  ibi  omnis  effusus  labor," 
but  I  am  glad. 

December  5. — Burdett  told  me  our  Reform 
prospects  were  not  favourable— no  converts.  The 
King,  against  so  far  as  inclination  went,  but  being 
an  honourable  man,  would  not  give  in.  He  said 
that  the  National  Union  was  going  fast  to  pieces ; 
and  so  much  the  better,  added  he.  I  had  pre- 
viously heard  from  him  that  the  Union  had  hesi- 
tated about  accepting  his  resignation,  and  I  saw 
the  correspondence.  They  are  trying  to  trick  him, 
he  pretending  not  to  see  their  manoeuvre.  Such 
is  the  consequence  of  one  false  step  even  in  the 
best  of  men. 

FROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

December  6. — Parliament  met.  The  House  of 
Commons  was  empty  when  compared  with  its 
numbers  during  the  fierce  contests  of  the  recent 
session. 

Several  occurrences,  and  particularly  the  Bristol 
riots,  had  tended  to  cool  the  ardour  of  most  poli- 
ticians ;  and  it  required  all  the  sagacity  and 
courage  of  the  tried  friends  of  Parliamentary 
Reform  to  persevere  in  the  course  most  likely  to 
obtain  their  object  without  risk  to  public  tran- 
quillity. 

The  Royal  Speech  was  a  good  speech,  inasmuch 
as  it  afforded  very  little  for  opponents  to  lay  hold 

VOL.  iv  20 


154  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1831.  of.  It  opened  with  Reform,  and  allowed  the  right 
of  popular  meetings  to  discuss  political  questions ; 
but  denied  that  this  right  extended  to  the  organi- 
sation of  political  unions.  Peel  promised  to 
discuss  the  new  Reform  Bill  dispassionately. 
Russell  gave  notice  that  he  should  bring  forward 
that  Bill  on  the  following  Monday.  This  drew  a 
loud  cheer  from  our  benches. 

PROM  DIARY. 

December  7. — I  saw  Tavistock  to-day.  He  told 
me  the  King  says  he  considers  it  to  be  the  duty 
of  a  constitutional  King  to  stand  by  his  Ministers ; 
but  Tavistock  added  he  believed  H.M.  was  not 
for  Reform. 

No  amendment  in  the  Lords,  and  Lord  Harrowby 
made  a  sort  of  conceding  speech.  Nevertheless 
I  believe  the  Lords  are  preparing  a  surprise,  as 
before,  and  mean  to  throw  out  the  Bill. 

At  the  House  of  Commons  Lord  Althorp  pre- 
sented the  Yorkshire  address  signed  by  140,000 ; 
but  this  did  not  prevent  Mr.  Croker  from  being 
somewhat  smart  and  insolent,  nor  Hunt  from 
being  lying  and  vulgar. 

December  12. — I  went  to  the  House  of  Commons, 
and  heard  Lord  John  Russell  propose  his  new 
Reform  Bill.  I  thought  the  Bill  an  improvement 
on  the  former  Bill,  and  I  believe  that  was  the 
general  opinion.  But  Peel  made  a  most  unjust 
and  ungenerous  attack  on  the  Government,  con- 
gratulating the  House  on  the  escape  which  his 


CHAP.  XII.      SLASHING   SPEECH   BY   MACAULAY  155 

party  and  the  Lords  had  procured  for  the  country     issi. 
from  the  old  Bill. 

I  hardly  ever  felt  so  angry  in  my  life,  and  had 
half  a  mind  to  speak;  but  Althorp  made  a  very 
good  and  spirited  reply,  and  subsequently  Lord 
Clive  spoke  in  a  conciliatory  tone,  as  did  Lord 
Chandos,  and  Baring,  all  of  whom  owned  the  Bill 
to  be  an  improvement.  Croker  was  insolent  as 
usual.  Peel  apparently  made  a  bad  hit,  and 
forgot  he  was  leader  of  a  party,  for  when  he  was 
taunted  with  Lord  Olive's  moderation,  he  rose  to 
say  he  should  act  for  himself.  Portman  of  Dorset- 
shire made  an  indiscreet  effort  to  nail  Clive  to 
his  new  position,  which  made  Clive  explain. 
Nugent  called  this  "  heading  the  fox." 

December  16. — The  second  reading  of  the  new 
Reform  Bill  came  on.  Lord  Porchester  moved 
to  delay  it  to  "this  day  six  months."  Lord 
Mahon  made  a  good  speech ;  but,  alluding  to 
Macaulay,  who  had  just  sauntered  into  the  House, 
drew  up  that  extraordinary  young  man,  who  made 
one  of  his  best  speeches — indeed,  one  of  the  best 
I  ever  heard — and  took  occasion  to  tell  Peel  some 
very  home  truths  about  himself  and  his  Administra- 
tion. We  cheered  and  huzzaed.  Peel  looked  as  if 
sweating  blood.  I  never  saw  him  so  scalded,  not 
even  in  the  days  of  Brougham.  Croker  followed 
Macaulay.  Reply  to  him  he  did  not,  nor  could 
not.  His  speech  was  a  tirade  against  Ministers 
and  revolutionary  politics  in  general,  with  illus- 
trations from  English  and  Erench  history,  full 


156  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1831.  of  the  grossest  mistakes,  which  Macaulay  de- 
tected at  once,  and  I  handed  down  corrections  of 
them  to  Lord  Althorp.  Lord  Althorp  said  to  me, 
"  Will  you  undertake  him  ?  "  I,  seeing  he  wished 
to  speak,  answered  "  No."  Althorp  spoke  ill,  and 
several  Members  told  me  that  I  ought  to  have 
answered  Croker.  Indeed,  I  thought  I  should 
have  done  it  well,  for  he  had  laid  himself  very  open. 

PROM  BOOK,  "RECOLLECTIONS." 

December  17. — This  evening  was  conspicuous,  in 
our  Reform  debates,  for  a  great  speech  from  [Lord] 
Edward  Stanley,  who  lashed  Mr.  Croker  so  soundly 
as  he  had  never  been  lashed  before.  He  exposed 
his  false  history  about  Charles  I.  and  his  Parlia- 
ments, and  told  him  "  Inaccurate  reading  was 
as  dangerous  as  a  little  reading,"  alluding  to 
Macaulay's  exposure  of  Croker's  "  Boswell's  Life 
of  Johnson,"  in  the  Edinburgh  Review,  in  which 
the  quotation  had  been  applied  to  Croker's  edition 
of  that  famous  book.  But  what  pleased  me  most 
was  the  genuine  English  spirit  which  breathed 
through  all  he  said.  He  was  tremendously 
cheered  when  he  sat  down. 

Then  Peel  rose,  and  for  three-quarters  of  an 
hour  made  a  very  lame  and  laboured  defence  of 
himself  against  Macaulay's  speech  of  the  night 
before.  He  talked  of  the  "  sweltered  venom  "  of 
his  antagonist,  but  confessed  admiration  for  his 
talents.  He  read  ^his  correspondence  with  the 
Duke  of  Wellington  respecting  his  wish  to  retire 


CHAP.  XII.    A   HANDSOME   MAJORITY    FOB   REFORM    157 

from  office  in  1829.  But  he  did  not  and  could 
not  answer  Macaulay's  charges  of  unhandsome 
conduct  in  taunting  Ministers  with  adopting  the 
suggestions  of  their  opponents ;  "  coming,"  as 
Macaulay  said,  (t  from  a  man  whose  administra- 
tion would  be  known  only  hy  its  concessions." 
Peel  concluded  by  declaring  positively  he  would 
never  be  a  party  to  any  measure  of  Parliamentary 
E-eform.  We  had  a  majority  of  324  to  162. 

We  went  home  in  great  glee,  and  Macaulay, 
walking  with  me,  could  not  refrain  from  a  little 
pleasantry  at  the  expense  of  Peel's  performances 
at" Oxford.  He  rendered  the  "suave  mari  magno" 
of  Lucretius  in  this  way  :  "  suave— it  is  a  source 
of  melancholy  satisfaction." 

December  20. — I  went  down  to  Hastings,  and 
found  my  wife  decidedly  better.  During  this 
visit  I  formed  an  acquaintance  with  a  very  agree- 
able man — Admiral  Sir  William  Hotham  2 — who 
had  lived  much  in  the  world,  and  was  a  most 
acceptable  guest  at  every  table.  Thomas  Campbell, 
the  poet,  was  at  Hastings  at  this  time,  and,  know- 
ing him  well,  I  brought  him  and  Sir  William  a 
good  deal  together. 

EROM  DIARY. 

December  22. — Sir  W.  Hotham  and  Thomas 
Campbell  dined  with  us ;  also  my  friend  Miss 

1  The  authorised  version,  in  Sir  R.  Peel's  Life  by    the  Right 
Honourable  C.  S.  Parker,  is  "  it  is  a  source  of  satisfaction,"  with- 
out the  word  "melancholy." 

2  Born  1772  ;  served  under  Nelson  at  Bastia,  1794 ;  commanded 
Adamant  at  Camperdown,  1797 ;  died  1848. 


158  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1831.     Bayley,  a  very  remarkable  lady  of  great  acquire- 
ments and  a  vigorous  intellect. 

Sir  William  told  us  that  he  was  present  at 
a  dinner  of  naval  officers  in  the  West  Indies 
when  the  Duke  of  Clarence  was  one  of  the  com- 
pany. H.R.H.  rallied  Captain  Newcome,  and 
dwelt  rather  more  than  was  agreeable  to  him 
on  his  father  being  a  schoolmaster  at  Hackney. 
The  Captain,  when  the  Duke  asked  him  why  his 
father  had  not  bred  him  up  to  his  own  profession, 
replied,  "  Why,  sir,  I  was  such  a  stupid,  good- 
for-nothing  fellow,  that  my  father  could  make 
nothing  of  me,  so  he  sent  me  to  sea." 

The  Admiral  also  told  us  that  the  King  saw 
William  Pitt  and  Lord  Nelson  for  the  last  time, 
on  the  same  day,  within  ten  minutes  of  each 
other;  and  that  both  seemed  impressed  with 
the  notion  they  were  soon  to  die,  particularly 
Nelson.  Pitt  told  him  he  should  never  go  to 
another  Council.  Hotham  saw  Pitt  after  this, 
at  Bath,  in  high  spirits,  but  knowing  it  was  over 
with  him.  One  day,  at  dinner,  a  foolish  man 
would  read  a  very  long  letter  from  a  boy  who 
was  in  the  action  at  Trafalgar,  which  Pitt  bore 
good-naturedly,  though  all  were  tired  of  never- 
ending  stories  about  that  battle.  General  Tarleton, 
who  was  present,  took  the  letter  and  said  he  would 
read  it,  being  best  acquainted  with  sea  terms. 
Pitt  asked  him  what  the  "  line  of  bearing  "  was. 
"  Why,"  said  Tarleton,  "  it  is— it  is— it  is—  .  .  . 
the — the — line  of  bearing." 


CHAP.  XII.       ANECDOTES   OF   THE    HOTHAMS  159 

Campbell  was  less  absurd  than  usual,  but  he 
read  us  a  dull  prophecy  concerning  the  future 
power  of  Russia — in  verse.  He  told  us  that  he 
once  heard  Sheridan,  when  drunk,  address  Lady 
Holland  "  My  dear  fellow  !  " 

On  another  occasion,  Sir  William  told  me  that 
when  his  ancestors,  the  two  Hothams,  were  con- 
demned by  the  Parliament1  to  lose  their  heads 
on  the  Tower  Hill,  the  son  was  executed  first, 
in  order  that  two  Baronets  might  not  be  put  to 
death  on  the  same  day — a  singular  delicacy  from 
Republicans.  The  estate  was  given  back  to  the 
family  after  the  Restoration ;  and  the  holder  of 
it,  being  in  Parliament,  voted  for  the  Exclusion 
Bill.  The  Duke  of  York  remonstrated  with  him, 
and  reminded  him  that  two  of  his  family  had 
lost  their  heads,  on  which  Hotham  replied  that 
he  always  bore  that  circumstance  in  mind,  and 
it  would  be  as  well  if  H.R.H.  would  recollect 
that  his  father  had  perished  for  opposing  the 
inclinations  of  his  subjects.  This  anecdote  is 
mentioned  in  the  papers  preserved  by  the 
Hotham  family. 

One  more  anecdote  from  the  Admiral : 

Lord  Huntingdon,  the  late  Sir  C.  Hotham, 
and  a  third  person  were  dining  at  the  inn  at 

1  Sir  John  Hotham,  the  first  Baronet,  was  Governor  of  Hull,  and  on 
the  eve  of  hostilities  refused  to  admit  the  King  and  his  retinue  ; 
but  in  1643  he  and  his  son  were  accused  of  plotting  to  hand  over  the 
city  to  the  Duke  of  Newcastle  on  behalf  of  the  King,  on  which  they 
were  arrested  and  sent  to  London,  where  they  were  both  beheaded  by 
order  of  Parliament  in  1645. 


160  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1831.  Salt    Hill ;     and    talking   of    the   American   war 
then    raging,    Lord   Huntingdon   said   that    Lord 
North    ought    to    lose    his    head,    although    he 
believed  a   good   deal  of  the  mischief  was  to  he 
traced    to   the    King's   obstinacy.     Shortly   after- 
wards Hotham  was  at  Windsor,  and  George  III. 
addressed   him   thus :    "  You  dined  at   Salt  Hill 
the  other   day,   and  so   and   so    were   with    you. 
Pray  tell  Lord  Huntingdon  from  me  that  I  re- 
spect his  opinions,  supposing  that  he  holds  them 
conscientiously ;    but   that,    when    he    devotes    a 
Minister  to  the  scaffold  and  accuses  his  King  of 
obstinacy,  I  advise  him  first  to  turn  the  waiters 
out  of  the  room." 

December  29. — The  Cholera  is  raging  dreadfully 
and  suddenly  at  Gateshead,  where  in  46  hours  there 
have  been  about  103  cases  and  52  deaths,  the  rate 
of  mortality  being  as  large  as  on  the  Continent,  or 
larger.  It  is  said  to  have  been  caused  by  the 
drunkenness  of  Christmas  Day.  Only  one  person 
at  all  above  the  lowest  orders  affected. 

December  30. — I  have  read  poor  Walter  Scott's 
last  romances,  "  Robert  of  Paris"  and  "  Castle 
Dangerous " ;  incredibly  inferior  to  almost  all 
his  other  performances,  and  smelling  of  apoplexy. 
Nevertheless,  no  one  else  perhaps  could  produce 
so  good  and  lively  an  historical  fiction  as  either 
of  these  tales. 

1832.  January   1. — I    am   glad   the   last   melancholy 
year   is    over,    although   the   present   commences 
with  no  very  favourable  auspices. 


CHAP.  XII.  T.    P.    COOKE  161 

January  22. — I  left  Hastings,  and  came  up  1832. 
to  London  in  the  coach.  T.  P.  Cooke,  the  actor, 
and  his  wife  were  of  the  party.  He  is  a  very 
pleasing-mannered,  good-looking  man,  with  a 
good  deal  of  unassuming  conversation.  He  has 
been  a  common  sailor,  and  then  went  on  the 
stage  to  perform  the  part  of  the  strong  man 
at  Sadler's  Wells  ;  afterwards  he  tried  higher 
departments,  and  I  hear  that  his  William  in 
Black-eyed  Susan  is  a  very  pathetic  performance. 
He  talked  to  me  of  Talma,  with  whom  he  seems 
to  have  been  well  acquainted,  and  of  Kean, 
whom  he  knows  intimately.  He  is  rather  an 
extraordinary  man  if  his  origin  be  taken  into 
consideration. 

I  find  that  few  people,  if  any,  approve  of  the 
Reform  measure  altogether,  the  general  impres- 
sion with  all  those  who  have  anything  to  lose 
being  that  it  goes  too  far. 

I  took  up  my  residence  at  42,  Berkeley  Square. 
Lady  Hobhouse  and  her  family  left  England 
for  the  Continent,  and  I  rented  the  house  of  her 
during  her  lifetime. 

FROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

January  24. — At  House  of  Commons.  The 
schedules  of  the  Reform  Bill  came  on.  I  voted 
with  Ministers  for  dividing  Lincolnshire  into  two 
counties.  We  had  193  to  64,  and  the  Tories 
were  so  angry  that  they  walked  out  of  the 
House  in  a  body. 

VOL.  iv  21 


162  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  The  next  day,  January  25,  I  heard  from  Lord 
Howick  that  all  arrangements  were  made  for 
carrying  the  Reform  Bill.  I  remarked  thereon, 
"  Of  course,  if  your  father  has  thrown  the 
country  into  this  ferment,  without  the  certainty 
of  carrying  his  measure,  he  deserves  to  be 
hanged."  He  smiled,  and  said  he  agreed  with 
me;  "hut  the  thing  was  done."  Several  other 
official  people  held  the  same  language  to  me; 
hut  all  regretted  that  the  creation  of  a  sufficient 
number  of  Peers  had  been  delayed. 

I  became  in  those  days  acquainted  with  a 
man  who  figured  as  a  leader  of  a  powerful 
party — I  mean  Lord  George  Bentinck.  He  did 
not  support  Ministers,  but  as  yet  he  did  not 
oppose  them.  His  chief  dislike  was  to  Sir  Robert 
Peel.  He  gave  me  a  lamentable  account  of  the 
Nottingham  riots,  and  assured  me  that  the  con- 
victs had  not  the  slightest  notion  that  they 
would  be  proceeded  against  capitally.  On  the 
contrary,  they  expressed  their  surprise  that  the 
Attorney- General  did  not  come  to  defend  them. 
Indeed,  the  language  held  by  some  of  our  ad- 
herents was  sufficient  to  mislead  better-informed 
men  than  the  rioters.  My  friend  Colonel  Wild- 
man,  purchaser  of  Newstead  Abbey,  addressing 
a  meeting  which  might  fairly  be  called  a  mob, 
told  them  that  they  were  "  God  Almighty's 
aristocracy."  This  was  the  aristocracy  that  burnt 
Nottingham  Castle,  and,  when  some  of  them 
were  condemned  to  suffer  for  it,  a  petition  was 


CHAP.  XII.      "  GOD   ALMIGHTY'S   ARISTOCRACY  "        163 

circulated  to  save  them,  which  it  was  not  very  1832. 
easy  to  refuse  to  sign,  and  similar  efforts  were 
made  to  save  the  Bristol  rioters ;  but,  if  our 
criminal  code  awards  death  as  a  punishment  for 
any  crime,  I  could  not  see  how  these  men  could 
be  saved. 

January  26. — Mr.  Perceval  made  his  foolish 
motion  for  a  general  East,  and  the  Government 
as  foolishly  gave  way  to  his  proposal. 

Then  followed  a  discussion  on  a  subject  which, 
at  the  time,  created  a  great  sensation,  and  led 
to  consequences  seriously  affecting  more  than 
one  public  man — I  allude  to  the  Eussian-Dutch 
loan.  Mr.  Herries  moved  three  resolutions  on 
this  subject,  the  last  of  them  condemnatory  of 
the  Ministers  for  continuing  the  payment  of 
the  loan  after  the  separation  of  Belgium  from 
Holland,  without  applying  to  Parliament.  Lord 
Althorp  moved  the  previous  question  on  the  two 
first  resolutions,  and  a  decided  negative  on  the 
last. 

We  had  very  melancholy  forebodings  as  to 
the  result  of  the  vote,  but  in  the  midst  of  the 
discussion  news  came  that  Ministers  had  a 
majority  of  37  on  the  Belgian  question  in  the 
Lords.  A  still  more  useful  effect  was  produced 
by  Sir  Robert  Peel,  who,  though  he  made  a 
strong  anti-Ministerial  speech,  let  out  that,  even 
if  the  vote  of  censure  passed,  he  should  not 
think  himself  precluded  from  paying  the  money. 
This  gave  an  excuse  to  the  economical  Members 


164  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  to  vote  for  Ministers ;  and  Lord  Palmerston  then 
made  a  speech  which  I  thought  far  the  best  he 
had  ever  made  since  he  joined  the  Whig  Cabinet. 
We  had  a  majority  of  239  to  219.  On  the  vote 
of  censure  our  majority  was  larger,  for  we  were 
238  to  214.  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  hearing 
afterwards  that  Sir  John  Leech  had  said  Ministers 
had  interpreted  the  treaty  rightly,  and  Dr.  Jenner 
said  the  same;  yet  Lord  Palmerston  was  the 
only  Minister  who  took  the  right  line  in  the 
debate.  I  should,  however,  have  supported 
Ministers  even  if  they  had  made  a  mistake  about 
the  loan,  for,  if  Ministers  were  displaced,  I  knew 
we  should  not  have  Reform  of  Parliament — the 
sole  object  of  my  public  life. 

EBOM  DIARY. 

January  26. — This  day  I  had  a  long  talk  with 
Prank  Place,  who  told  me  that  when  the  Lords 
threw  out  the  last  Bill  there  was  so  little  real 
feeling  or  spirit  in  the  people  that  it  required 
all  the  efforts  of  a  few  individuals  to  found  the 
National  Political  Union,  and  that  the  Birming- 
ham Union  was  just  kept  alive  by  the  subscription 
of  three  men  who  sent  £50  apiece  and  saved  it. 
He  said  that  even  now  the  National  Political 
Union  was  mere  moonshine,  and  the  Birmingham 
the  same.  He  added  that  a  vigorous  Tory  Ministry 
would  keep  the  people  down  easily  for  some  time, 
but  that  they  would  rise  at  last  and  walk  over  all 
the  upper  classes. 


CHAP.  XII.    THE  OFFER  OF  "  SECRETARY- AT- WAR  "    165 

I  had  no  notion  of  the  apathy  or  disgust  of  the     1832. 
people,  but  he  assured  me  he  was  right. 

January  28. — Sir  James  Macdonald  had  a  long 
talk  with  me,  and  told  me  Ministers  could  not 
stand  with  the  present  Treasury  Bench,  and 
that  I  must  come  into  office,  also  Macaulay.  I 
said  nothing,  except  that  Ministers  did  appear 
to  want  assistance. 

January  30. — King  Charles's  Martyrdom  was 
a  holiday  at  the  House  of  Commons.  Going  to 
Brooks's,  I  heard  that  Sir  Henry  Parnell  had 
been  dismissed  from  the  War  Office  for  not  voting 
with  Ministers  on  the  E/ussian- Dutch  loan. 

January  31. — I  had  a  note  from  ~Lord  Althorp, 
desiring  me  to  call  on  him  at  eleven  o'clock.  On 
my  walking  to  Downing  Street  I  was  overtaken 
by  a  man  with  a  note  from  Lord  Durham,  begging 
me  to  call  on  him  at  twelve.  I  went  to  Lord 
Althorp ;  so  soon  as  the  door  was  shut  and  we 
were  alone  he  said,  "  Sit  down ;  we  want  you 
in  harness."  "  As  how  ?  "  said  I.  "As  Secretary- 
at-War,"  replied  he.  The  substance  of  my  answer 
was,  "  That  there  were  two  points  for  considera- 
tion on  that  proposal :  first,  my  own  feelings  as 
to  the  propriety  of  accepting  the  office ;  and, 
secondly,  how  the  electors  of  Westminster  would 
feel  on  the  subject :  therefore  I  should  require 
some  little  time  for  consideration."  Lord  Althorp 
assented,  and  then  added,  he  would  tell  me  as 
a  friend  what  was  not  to  be  communicated  to 
others,  "  that  Ministers  would  carry  the  Reform 


166  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  Bill,  but  were  not  likely  to  be  permanent."  I 
said  that  "  the  carrying  the  Bill  was  the  only 
important  matter  with  me ;  the  instability  of 
Ministers  would  not  affect  my  answer." 

He  told  me  that  perhaps  it  might  be  agreeable 
to  me  to  know  that  the  Cabinet  were  unanimous 
in  wishing  me  to  take  office.  He  added  that 
their  decision  had  been  conveyed  to  the  King 
yesterday,  and  that  His  Majesty  had  returned 
an  answer  highly  complimentary  to  me  and 
approving  of  the  offer. 

I  told  Lord  Althorp  that  the  Secretaryship  of 
War  was  the  least  agreeable  place  he  could  offer 
to  me.  He  owned  it,  but  said  it  was  a  high 
place,  and  they  had  no  other  to  give  me.  Nor 
were  we  likely  to  differ  except  on  one  point, 
namely,  flogging.  I  told  him  that  on  that  point 
I  might  come  to  some  terms,  but  that  I  was 
not  sure  of  my  capacity  for  the  details  of  the 
office.  This  he  overruled ;  and  he  added  that 
my  assent  would  be  of  advantage  to  the  Ministers 
and  to  the  cause  of  Reform. 

Lord  Durham  told  me  much  the  same  as  Lord 
Althorp  had  told  me,  but  entered  more  into 
detail  as  to  the  wishes  of  the  Cabinet  Ministers, 
particularly  the  Tory  portion  of  them,  and  Lord 
Palmerston  nominatim.  He  assured  me  that 
the  office  would  be  only  a  step  to  a  more 
important  position,  and  that  no  one  would  be 
promoted  over  my  head.  I  told  him  that, 
although  of  course  I  did  not  forget  what  was 


CHAP.  XTI.  VAKIOUS   ADVICE  167 

due  to  my  position,  my  chief  reflection  was  as  1832. 
to  the  good  to  be  done  to  the  public;  and  I 
had  doubts  as  to  my  capacity  for  the  office.  He 
replied  that  "  my  appointment  would  do  away 
with  any  bad  impression  that  might  be  made 
by  the  dismissal  of  Sir  Henry  Parnell ;  and  that, 
as  for  capacity,  there  could  be  no  doubt."  He 
told  me  that  the  Reform  measure  was  to  be 
carried  without  doubt.  On  this  I  remarked  that, 
without  that  preliminary  assurance,  I  could  not 
think  of  taking  office. 

My  next  application  was  to  Mr.  De  Vear,  my 
good  Westminster  chairman.  He  strongly  recom- 
mended my  acceptance  of  the  office,  and  after 
deliberation  I  was  resolved  to  give  an  answer 
in  the  affirmative.  I  was  quite  aware  of  the 
objections  to  such  a  course,  and  I  think  I  may 
say  that  I  was  as  little  swayed  by  private  and 
selfish  considerations  as  any  man  could  be  under 
similar  circumstances.  The  Administration  had 
just  received  a  severe  check.  Parnell's  retire- 
ment might  injure  them  still  further.  Lord 
Althorp's  hint  was  anything  but  encouraging.  I 
had  little  to  gain.  I  had  the  certainty  of  losing 
leisure  and  tranquillity,  and  the  chance  of  sacri- 
ficing reputation  by  discovering  my  incapacity 
for  office.  I  had  nothing  to  encourage  me  but 
the  consciousness  of  coming  forward,  when  most 
wanted,  to  assist  in  carrying  through  the  great 
measure  which  it  had  been  the  object  of  my 
whole  public  life  to  obtain. 


168  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  As  to  personal  distinction,  it  was  hardly  sufficient 
to  have  much  weight,  if  any ;  for  many  might 
think  the  place  too  low  for  me,  whilst  it  might 
subsequently  be  found  to  be  too  high.  To  this 
might  be  added  the  peculiar  nature  and  duty  of 
the  office  in  Parliament,  particularly  obnoxious  to 
an  old  antagonist  of  barracks  and  standing  armies. 
However,  I  made  up  my  mind ;  went  to  Brooks's, 
and,  finding  the  rumour  afloat,  scarcely  denied  it. 
I  wrote  a  short  note  to  Lord  Durham,  conveying 
my  assent ;  then  went  to  Lord  Althorp.  He  took 
me  in  his  carriage  to  the  House  of  Commons.  I 
said,  "Well,  I  say  yes."  "That's  right,"  said 
he;  and  so  the  affair  ended  with  this  good 
creature  of  few  words. 

The  business  was  soon  buzzed  about  the  House. 
A  good  many  men  congratulated  me,  and  a  great 
many  compliments,  not  worth  recording,  were 
addressed  to  me.  The  Speaker  shook  hands  with 
me  as  I  passed  the  Chair.  Sir  Henry  Hardinge 
said  that  there  would  be  a  good  many  extra 
bottles  drunk  at  the  United  Service  Club;  and 
that  I  should  do  justice  between  the  soldiers 
and  the  public.  My  friend  Lord  Maitland  alone 
seemed  a  little  sour.  He  said,  "  Of  course  you 
would  not  take  it,  if  you  did  not  think  the 
Government  likely  to  last." 

I  sat  up  until  twelve  in  the  House ;  and  thus 
ended  this,  to  me,  important  day — the  opening 
of  a  new  scene  in  my  life. 

February  1.— I  called  on  Lord  Grey  in  Downing 


CHAP.  XII.  HIS    MAJESTY'S    WISH  169 

Street.  He  was  very  kind  and  complimentary. 
He  read  to  me  that  part  of  the  King's  letter 
which  referred  to  me.  It  approved  of  the  dis- 
missal of  Sir  H.  Parnell ;  said  of  me  that  it  had 
not  escaped  His  Majesty's  notice  that  I  had  dis- 
countenanced the  Unions;  that  I  was  of  an  old 
family  (umph !)  and  high  station ;  of  literary 
habits,  likely  to  be  qualified  for  business,  and 
such  a  person  as  would  be  agreeable  for  personal 
intercourse  with  him;  adding,  of  undoubted 
abilities,  and  concluding,  "His  Majesty  hopes 
Sir  John  Hobhouse  will  not  refuse  the  offer." 

Lord  Grey  then  gave  me  some  hints  as  to  the 
nature  and  duty  of  my  office ;  criticised  Parnell 's 
conduct  in  some  respects ;  begged  me  to  keep  up 
a  good  understanding  with  the  Commander-in- 
Chief  and  Lord  Fitzroy  Somerset,  and  to  speak 
to  them,  rather  than  write,  when  any  differences 
occurred. 

I  thought  Lord  Grey  looked  ill,  and  when  I 
asked  him  how  he  was  he  shook  his  head. 

February  2. — Mr.  De  Vear  called  with  a 
resolution,  passed  at  a  meeting  of  Westminster 
electors,  approving  of  my  conduct,  and  asking 
me  to  stand  again  for  the  city. 

I  saw  Lord  Althorp,  who  seemed  in  good 
spirits.  This  is  a  bad  sign,  for  nothing  would 
please  him  so  much  as  quitting  office. 

February  3. — I  went  down  to  Hastings,  and 
passed  a  delightful  day  on  the  Saturday  with  my 
wife  and  her  babies. 

VOL.  iv  22 


170  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  February  5.  —  I  returned  to  London  this  day, 
and  dined  with  Lord  Durham.  I  had  some 
private  talk  with  him  after  dinner,  and  he  used 
some  language  which  made  me  think  that  all 
was  not  right  as  to  the  Bill.  I  told  him  I  had 
a  character  to  lose,  and  if  I  had  been  deceived 
as  to  the  resolution  of  carrying  the  Bill,  I  had 
also  deceived  my  constituents  and  the  public  ;  and 
if  the  Bill  were  not  carried  I  should  be  ruined, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  country.  He  assented,  and 
assured  me  he  would  give  me  warning  in  time. 
I  added  that  I  would  quit  office  the  moment  I 
knew  there  was  any  hesitation.  Lord  Durham 
said  he  would  too. 

I  was,  however,  determined  not  to  take  any 
hasty  step,  and  I  received  assurances  from  more 
than  one  member  of  the  Cabinet  that,  if  the 
Reform  Bill  was  not  carried,  the  Government 
would  break  up. 


BOOK,  "RECOLLECTIONS." 
February  6.  —  I  went  to  St.  James's  with  Lord 
Durham.  I  was  congratulated,  and  received  in 
a  most  friendly  manner,  by  all  the  Cabinet 
Ministers  present,  and  had  several  civil  speeches 
addressed  to  me.  Lord  Brougham  said,  "I  do 
not  congratulate  you;  I  thank  you."  Sir  James 
Graham  paid  me  a  still  more  elaborate  compli- 
ment. My  frequent  meetings  with  "brother 
Brougham"  at  the  S.S.B.S.  had  given  rise  to 
much  intimacy  between  us.  He  and  Lord  Grey 


CHAP.  XII.  KISSING    HANDS    AS   MINISTER  171 

were  standing  at  the  fire  together,  when  he  took  1332. 
out  a  bottle  of  medicine  from  the  Lord  Chan- 
cellor's purse,  and  drank  it  off,  winking  to  us, 
and  saying,  "The  Bill."  I  said,  "I  am  glad 
you  can  swallow  it."  I  had  heard  there  had 
been  some  difficulty  with  him  in  the  Cabinet ; 
but  Lord  Grey  told  me  that  his  speech  on  the 
Russian-Dutch  loan  the  other  night  was  one  of 
the  finest  he  had  ever  made.  I  heard  that  the 
Duke  of  Wellington  spoke  of  it  in  the  same 
terms.  It  had,  indeed,  settled  the  question,  and 
recalled  some  of  our  deserters  to  their  duty. 

I  kissed  hands  with  the  King  on  my  appoint- 
ment. His  Majesty  was  -very,  very  kind — talked 
of  my  father's  last  illness,  of  his  intimacy  with 
him,  and  of  his  mode  of  life.  The  King's  last 
words  to  me  on  this  occasion  were,  "  I  trust 
that  your  manners  will  be  as  pleasing  in  inter- 
course with  me  on  public  matters,  as  your  father 
was  in  private  life."  He  then  said,  "Goodbye, 
for  the  present " ;  and  Lord  Grey  and  myself 
walked  away.  Lord  Grey  said  to  me,  "  He  gave 
you  a  most  gracious  reception,"  as  indeed  it  was ; 
but  we  had  to  wait  a  weary  time  in  the  Throne- 
room,  whilst  H.M.  gave  audience  to  several 
people.  It  was  half-past  four  before  the  door 
opened,  and  the  Privy  Councillors  took  their 
seats  at  the  table,  at  the  head  of  which  sat  the 
King. 

Mr.  Tennyson,  who  had  resigned  the  Clerkship 
of   the  Ordnance   and    was  to  be   made  a  Privy 


172  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  Councillor,  was  ushered  in  with  me  by  Mr. 
Eathurst,  one  of  the  Clerks  of  the  Council,  and 
we  both  of  us  knelt  on  cushions  near  His  Majesty. 
We  then  took  the  accustomed  oaths,  and,  when 
we  had  kissed  the  King's  hand  and  risen,  His 
Majesty  said,  "  Gentlemen,  take  your  places." 
We  walked  round  the  table,  the  Privy  Councillors 
rising  as  we  passed,  and  standing  with  their 
backs  to  the  table :  each  of  them  shook  hands 
with  me. 

Lord  Lansdowne  read  the  programme.  First 
there  came  the  proclamation  for  the  East.  The 
King  asked  who  preached.  The  Archbishop  said 
he  did  not  know.  Lord  Grey  said,  "A  Bishop, 
of  course."  We  all  smiled.  Indeed,  during  the 
whole  proceeding,  which  consisted  of  reading 
Orders  in  Council  and  the  King  saying  "Ap- 
proved," we  were  whispering  and  talking,  and 
making  signs  across  the  table,  particularly 
Stanley,  and  Graham,  and  Grant.  Having  never 
seen  the  like  before,  I  could  not  help  saying  to 
my  neighbour,  "Do  you  recollect  Chancellor 
Oxenstiern's  speech  to  his  son  ?  "  It  was  a  tire- 
some ceremony,  as  I  thought  then ;  and,  having 
assisted  at  a  good  many  of  such  afterwards,  I  may 
add  that  I  think  so  still. 

February  8. — This  day  was  fixed  upon  for  the 
Westminster  electors  to  show  whether  or  not  they 
approved  of  the  step  I  had  taken.  There  was  a 
very  respectable  crowd  at  Covent  Garden,  but  not 
the  least  excitement  of  any  kind.  When  I  was 


CHAP.  XII.          UNCONTESTED    RE-ELECTION  173 

declared  by  the  High  Bailiff  duly  elected,  there 
was  a  good  deal  of  cheering,  as  also  during  my 
speech.  I  did  not  speak  long,  hut  told  them 
"  I  should  support  the  Ministers  so  long  as  they 
supported  Reform ;  and  support  them  as  I  had 
supported  the  popular  cause — namely,  not  by 
halves,  hut  without  cavilling  at  little  faults, 
decidedly  and  unremittingly."  I  told  them  "  that 
the  Ministers  looked  to  the  public  for  support, 
and,  if  they  withheld  it,  Reform  might  yet  be 
lost."  In  conclusion,  I  said  "that  my  peaceable 
re-election  was  a  practical  refutation  of  one  of 
the  charges  made  against  the  Bill,  namely,  that 
a  Member,  accepting  office,  would  not  know 
where  to  find  a  seat,  as  he  could  not  have  recourse 
to  a  rotten  borough." 

There  was  not  the  slightest  attempt  at  inter- 
ruption. "The  event  certainly  is  favourable  to 
the  Government — at  least  it  ought  to  be — so  far 
as  the  election  is  concerned,  although  I  have  my 
misgivings  as  to  my  being  any  great  accession 
to  them  as  active  debater  and  man  of  business 
in  Parliament.  Too  much  is  expected  of  me,  that 
is  certain." 

Such  was  my  comment  at  the  time,  and  I  am 
afraid  it  was  justified  by  my  subsequent  official 
conduct  and  character. 

February  9. — I  still  heard  doubts  on  the  great 
question  of  creation  of  Peers.  Lord  Brougham 
was  said  to  be  wavering,  and  he  frightened  Lord 
Grey,  who,  I  was  assured,  would  be  glad  to  be 


174  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.     out  of   the  concern.     Lord  Grey  said,   (f~D n 

Reform !     I  wish  I  had  never  touched  it."     "A 

fine  fellow/5  said ,  "  whom  we  are  trying  to 

make  a  great  man  of  against  his  will !  "  —bon  gre, 
mal  gre — a  wretched  pun. 

February  10. — I  worked  hard  at  the  War  Office, 
and  then  took  my  seat  on  the  Treasury  bench 
in  the  House  of  Commons.  The  Speaker  (Sutton) 
called  me  to  him,  and  addressed  me  thus :  "I 
have  three  things  to  say  to  you — first,  I  am  glad 
to  see  you  again;  secondly,  I  wish  you  joy  of 
having  to  bring  in  the  Army  Estimates ;  thirdly, 
I  hope  you  like  heing  in  the  mire  with  the  rest 
of  them." 

February  11. — Going  down  to  Westminster  I 
met  Lord  Howick,  who  said  he  wanted  to  speak 
with  me;  and,  accordingly,  we  walked  together 
for  some  time.  He  told  me  that  he  had  had  a 
conversation  with  his  father  the  night  before, 
and  that  Lord  Grey  still  hesitated  about  creating 
Peers  previously  to  the  second  reading.  Lord 
Howick  said  that  his  father  was  not  aware  of 
the  consequences  of  rejecting  the  Bill ;  and  that, 
in  fact,  he  was  not  aware  even  of  the  paramount 
importance  of  the  measure  itself,  and  confessed 
that,  had  he  known  what  would  ensue,  would 
never  have  embarked  in  it.  Lord  Grey  added 
that,  up  to  a  certain  time,  he  and  all  the  Cabinet 
were  resolved  upon  the  creation  of  Peers;  but 
that  Brougham  fell  ill,  and  then  took  fright, 
which  was  communicated  to  Lord  Grey.  Now 


CHAP.  XII.     PROPOSALS   TO   SWAMP   THE    PEERAGE     175 

Lord  Brougham  had  recovered  from  his  panic,  1832. 
and  Lord  Grey  had  his  doubts.  He  was  most 
decidedly  adverse  to  swamping  the  peerage,  and 
desired  to  retire  from  office.  He  did  not  seem 
aware  that  he  could  not  do  that  without  losing 
his  character,  and  risking  the  ruin  of  the 
country. 

Lord  Howick  concluded  by  begging  me  to  call 
on  his  father  and  state  my  opinion.  I  said  I 
would  do  so,  but  should  prefer  a  meeting  of 
Members  of  Parliament  to  advise  Lord  Grey. 
Lord  Howick  remarked  that  his  father  would 
not  like  that;  he  would  call  it  dictation,  and 
would  prefer  friendly  advice  given  privately. 

And  this  is  the  man  to  whom  the  destinies  of 
this  great  nation  are  entrusted !  a  man  who,  it 
now  seems,  took  up  Reform  as  a  toy  which  he 
might  break  or  lay  down  again  ;  who  knows 
nothing  of  its  nature  or  consequences ;  who  looks 
upon  it  as  a  mere  trick  of  state  for  the  preser- 
vation of  power,  and  when  he  finds  it  dis- 
agreeable or  not  worth  his  while  to  retain  that 
power,  supposes  he  may  abandon  the  cause  with 
the  same  indifference  as  his  house  in  Downing 
Street.  This  is  incredible,  but  it  is  true  ! 

I  went  to  Burdett,  and  he  was  equally  shocked 
with  me.  He  agreed  that  I  ought  to  save  myself 
and  resign  office  instantly,  upon  discovering  that 
there  was  any  intention  of  risking  the  Bill  by 
not  doing  that  which  the  Administration  have 
the  power  of  doing.  This  would  dissolve  the 


176  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  Ministry  perhaps,  but  the  fault  would  not  be 
mine.  The  sacrifice  of  me  is  needless ;  it  will 
not  save  them,  nor  ought  they  to  be  saved. 

This  day  I  dined  at  the  Speaker's— my  first 
Ministerial  dinner.  I  had  a  serious  conversation 
with  Charles  Grant  on  the  state  of  affairs,  and 
urged  the  necessity  of  creating  Peers  at  once. 
I  said  I  should  go  to  Lord  Grey  before  the 
Council  the  next  day,  and  would  resign  office  if 
I  was  not  assured  that  the  Bill  was  to  be 
carried.  I  spoke  to  him,  as  one  of  the  Cabinet, 
with  the  utmost  freedom  and  unreserve,  because 
I  thought  it  was  best  to  do  so.  I  was  aware 
that  I  was  pledging  myself  to  a  step  which 
might  produce  to  myself  very  painful  con- 
sequences. However,  I  have  no  doubt  what  I 
ought  to  do.  It  is  absolutely  necessary  to  take  a 
decisive  step.  Nothing  else  will  save  the  country 
from  convulsion.  The  making  of  Peers,  were  it 
ever  so  objectionable,  is  nothing  in  comparison 
with  the  consequences  of  rejecting  the  Bill,  and 
bringing  back  the  old  set  and  the  old  system. 

February  12. — I  called  on  Lord  Durham.  He 
told  me  that  on  the  previous  Thursday  he  had, 
through  Lady  Durham  and  Lady  Grey,  conveyed 
to  Lord  Grey  his  intention  of  resigning,  unless  the 
Bill  was  made  quite  safe  in  the  House  of  Lords.  He 
assured  me  that,  when  he  persuaded  me  to  accept 
office,  everything  was  decided  upon.  As  many 
Peers  as  were  thought  requisite  were  to  be  made, 
either  at  once,  or  by  degrees;  and  on  this  the 


CHAP.  XII.     THE    PROPOSED    CREATION   OF    PEERS      177 

whole  Cabinet  seemed  determined,  but  Brougham's  1832. 
illness  made  him  flinch,  and  his  flinching  raised 
doubts  in  Lord  Grey;  and  both  together  revived 
the  hesitation  in  that  portion  of  the  Cabinet  that 
had  originally  objected  to  the  creation  of  Peers. 
Amongst  them  were  the  Duke  of  Richmond, 
Melbourne,  Palmer ston,  and  even  John  Russell. 

At  this  juncture  two  well-meaning  Peers,  Lord 
Harrowby  and  Lord  Wharncliffe,  had  an  inter- 
view with  Sir  Herbert  Taylor,  and  proposed, 
under  certain  conditions,  to  vote  for  the  second 
reading  of  the  Bill.  The  main  object  of  these 
personages  was  to  prevent  a  large  creation  of 
Peers.  The  King  considered  the  arrangement 
satisfactory,  but  Lord  Grey  wrote  to  Lord 
Durham  saying  he  considered  this  proposal  as 
anything  but  satisfactory. 

This  did  not  tally  with  what  I  heard  from 
Lord  Howick,  and  I  mentioned  that  conversa- 
tion to  Lord  Durham.  He  answered  that  the 
difference  between  the  two  statements  was 
startling  enough ;  but  that  Lord  Grey  was  the 
most  changeable  man  in  the  universe,  and, 
without  a  steady  monitor  constantly  at  his  elbow, 
would  never  persevere  in  anything. 

He  then  entered  into  many  details  which 
subsequent  events  make  it  unnecessary  to  record, 
except  to  say  that  the  Cabinet  were  not  kept 
together  except  with  the  greatest  difficulty,  and 
Lord  Durham  had  been  obliged  occasionally  to 
bully  both  Lord  Grey  and  the  Cabinet.  He  said 

VOL.  iv  23 


178  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  it  was  framed  as  if  a  mere  "  hors  d'oeuvre." 
Walking  down  the  steps  of  the  House  of  Lords, 
Lord  Grey  said  to  him,  "  Lambton,  I  wish  you 
would  take  our  Reform  Bill  in  hand."  Durham 
consented,  but  took  Lord  J.  Russell,  Sir  James 
Graham,  and  Duncannon  as  coadjutors.  Lord 
Durham  told  Russell  that,  being  an  author,  he 
should  draw  it  up ;  but  Russell  refused,  and 
Lord  Durham  drew  up  the  Bill  himself.  He 
made  a  sketch  of  the  essential  principles,  and 
submitted  it  to  the  Cabinet  at  large.  The  Cabinet 
voted  on  this  syllabus  of  the  Bill,  scarcely 
knowing  what  they  did.  It  was  sent  to  the 
King,  who  gave  his  consent  in  the  same  way. 
This  sketch  was  afterwards  given  to  Lord 
Holland,  who  talked  of  using  it  for  his  con- 
templated "  History  of  His  Own  Times."  He 
said  Ballot  was  part  of  their  original  plan,  but 
was  not  agreed  to. 

I  then  went  to  Lord  Althorp,  and  told  him  I 
must  have  some  positive  assurance  in  regard  to 
carrying  the  Reform  Bill.  Lord  Althorp  said,  "  I 
can  set  your  mind  at  ease.  Brougham  and  I  will 
go  out  also,  unless  we  have  a  moral  certainty 
of  carrying  the  measure."  He  seemed  much 
pleased  with  this  chance  of  quitting  office.  I 
told  him  that,  "He  never  could  go  out  as  he 
came  in,  for  that,  if  it  was  generally  suspected 
he  might  have  carried  the  measure,  and  would 
not  do  it,  he  would  be  stoned  in  the  streets ; 
and,  if  the  other  party  came  in,  I  saw  no  small 


CHAP.  XII.          LORD   GUEY   AND   THE   BILL  179 

chance  of  his  coming  to  the  scaffold ! "  He 
smiled,  and  said,  "  I  think  so  too ;  I  have 
long  thought  so."  He  then  told  me  they 
wished  to  avoid  making  Peers  if  possible.  I 
replied  that  it  was  not  possible.  The  proposal 
of  Wharncliffe  and  Harrowby  was  a  trick.  He 
granted  that  that  might  he,  and  added  that,  unless 
they  had  a  security  amounting  to  a  moral  certainty 
the  Peers  would  do  as  they  promised,  either  new 
Peers  would  be  made  or  they  would  go  out. 

Lord  Althorp  said  positively  that  Lord  Grey 
would  carry  the  Bill,  but  the  mode  of  doing  it 
must  be  left  to  him.  I  said  :  "  Yes,  if  his  mode 
was  such  as  any  man  of  sense  and  honour  would 
declare  was  feasible ;  but  a  pretence  would  not 
do.  It  was  as  much  as  his  life  was  worth  to 
pretend  he  had  security  for  the  fulfilment  of 
engagements,  which  his  own  conscience  must 
tell  him  he  had  not.  As  for  myself,  I  must 
have  an  engagement  which  could  not  be  violated/' 
Lord  Althorp  promised  he  would  tell  Lord  Grey 
what  I  had  said. 

I  went  to  Lord  Grey's  house,  and  saw  Charles 
Wood.  Prom  him  I  learnt  that  on  Friday  night 
Lord  Grey  had  told  Howick  nothing  should  make 
him  consent  to  a  creation  of  Peers ;  and  on 
Saturday  morning  he  had  desired  Wood  to  make 
out  as  large  a  list  of  new  Peers  as  he  could 
think  of.  Here's  a  man  for  you  ! ! ! 

The  same  day  I  dined  with  Lord  Althorp,  and 
sat  up  with  him  alone  until  past  twelve  o'clock. 


180  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  He  told  me  that  he  had  seen  Lord  Grey  and 
given  my  message.  Lord  Grey  said,  "He  will 
not  be  worse  off  than  we  are ;  if  we  cannot  carry 
the  Bill  we  will  go  out." 

I  told  Lord  Althorp  I  did  not  agree  with  Lord 
Grey  :  he  had  made  the  Bill  and  originated  many 
other  measures,  and  had  got  into  difficulties  of 
his  own ;  and  I  had  joined  him  with  assurance 
that  Reform  was  to  be  carried,  at  great  personal 
sacrifice,  and  in  the  hour  of  his  utmost  need,  so 
that  if  he  went  out  now  merely  because  he  would 
not  make  an  effort  to  do  what  I  was  promised 
he  could  do,  I  should  be  a  dupe,  and  should 
be  thought  to  have  deceived  my  constituents. 

Lord  Althorp  made  some  sort  of  reply  to  this, 
half  owning  it  was  true,  but  he  added  that  the 
Administration  were  not  going  out ;  that,  "  unless 
the  King  broke  faith  with  them/'  they  were  sure 
of  carrying  their  Bill  in  all  its  material  enact- 
ments. Peers  would  be  made,  if  necessary;  the 
King  had  solemnly  promised  it. 

Althorp  talked  very  confidentially  of  his  own 
repugnance  to  office,  and  said  it  destroyed  all 
his  happiness,  adding  that  he  "  removed  his 
pistols  from  his  bedroom  for  fear  of  shooting 
himself."  Such  are  the  secrets  of  the  human 
heart !  Who  would  have  imagined  that  such  a 
notion  ever  entered  into  the  head  of  the  pure, 
the  imperturbable,  the  virtuous  Althorp  ? 

Amongst  his  confessions  he  said  he  was  more 
attached  to  the  Radicals  than  to  any  other  party. 


LORD  ALTHORP. 

John  Charles,  Third  Earl  Spencer  (Viscount  Althorp).     By  Sir  G.  Hayter. 
By  kind  permission  of  his  nephew,  Viscount  Althorp,  to  Lady  Dorchester. 

[p.  181 


CHAP.  XII.  THE   GARRICK   CLTJB  181 

I  believe  it  to  be  so.  After  all  I  have  heard, 
however,  I  do  not  feel  quite  easy  about  the  great 
measure,  which  the  very  indifference  of  Althorp 
to  office  puts  into  peril.  I  took  leave  of  this  excel- 
lent man  with  greater  admiration  of  him  than  ever. 

PROM  DIARY. 

February  13. — Lord  Durham  called,  and  gave 
me  a  satisfactory  account  of  a  correspondence 
now  going  on  between  the  King  and  Lord  Grey. 
One  expression  of  His  Majesty's  was,  how  can  it 
be  ascertained  that  the  creation  of  forty  or  fifty 
Peers  will  be  sufficient  ?  "  Which/'  said  Lord 
Durham,  "  is  a  good  sign,  inasmuch  as  it  shows 
that  the  King  thinks  of  forty  or  fifty  being  made." 
The  King's  last  letter  to  Lord  Grey  was  of  several 
sheets,  and  Lord  Grey's  answer  twice  as  long. 
What  a  singular  correspondence  for  history ! 

February  14. — The  Opposition  have  endeavoured 
to  make  the  most  of  the  few  cases  of  Cholera, 
which  at  last  has  certainly  come  to  London. 
Croker  sounded  the  alarm  last  night. 

February  15. — Dine  with  the  Garrick  Club, 
a  new  society  to  bring  together  friends  of  the 
drama.  The  Duke  of  Sussex  in  the  chair,  and 
all  the  principal  actors  present :  a  droll  scene, 
but  nothing  will  make  the  actors  gentlemen  nor 
the  gentlemen  actors. 

PROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

February  17. — This  was  to  me  a  very  important 


182  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  day,  I  had  to  bring  on  the  Army  Estimates 
for  the  quarter.  It  was  the  first  official  speech 
I  had  ever  made,  and  I  had  to  deal  with  many 
figures,  not  of  speech,  hut  of  financial  detail. 
Indeed,  I  was  publicly  complimented  by  Sir 
Henry  Hardinge,  and  was  cheered  by  all  sides 
of  the  House.  Mr.  Baring1  told  me  privately 
that  he  was  surprised  at  my  familiarity  with 
accounts.  The  truth  was  that  I  had  been  exceed- 
ingly well  "  crammed,"  as  the  Cambridge  students 
say ;  and  I  repeated  my  lesson  fluently  and 
accurately. 

Hume  tried  to  put  me  out,  and  talked  of 
reducing  20,000  men  from  the  vote,  and  of 
regiments  being  commanded  by  boys  ;  and,  when 
convicted  of  extravagant  statements,  said,  as  usual 
with  him,  "  Well,  I  think  so,  and  others  think 
differently  ;  that's  all."  I  soon  found  that  there 
was  no  arguing  with  this  gentleman.  He  was 
like  the  bookseller's  customer,  who  lost  one  of 
a  set  of  books,  and  could  never  be  convinced 
that  he  ought  to  find  the  volume,  or  buy  the 
whole  set.2 

February  18. — I  went  to  the  great  dinner  at 
the  Mansion  House,  given  to  Lord  Grey  and  the 
Ministers.  The  French  Ambassador,  Talleyrand, 
was  there  with  his  niece;  a  wonderful-looking 
man,  apparently  only  half  alive.  He  was  a  good 
deal  engrossed  by  talking  and  listening  to  Eoth- 


1  Afterwards  Lord  Ashburton. 

2  The  story  is  told  by  Addison. 


CHAP.  XII.      PROSPECTS   OF   THE   REFORM   BILL  183 

schild — in  his  way,  almost  as  extraordinary  a  1832. 
personage  as  the  French  Prince.  Talleyrand's 
health  was  proposed,  and  drunk  with  acclamation. 
He  rose  and  bowed,  but  did  not  say  a  word. 
Lord  Grey  made  a  long  speech,  expressing  his 
determination  to  carry  Reform,  and  saying  he 
did  not  consider  failure,  in  that  respect,  as 
possible. 

February  20. — I  had  a  good  deal  of  conversation 
with  Lord  Munster,  whom  I  thought  worth 
listening  to.  He  told  me  that  the  general  opinion 
at  Court  was  that  the  Reform  Bill  would  pass, 
but  that  the  Government  would  not  last  long ; 
Joseph  Hume  would  involve  them  in  some  of 
his  democratic  schemes,  which  H.M.  would  not 
tolerate.  "  He  himself,"  Lord  M.  added,  "had 
been  always  a  Reformer ;  but  he  thought  the  Bill 
had  gone  too  far."  I  knew  this  gentleman  pretty 
well.  He  was  a  man  of  a  certain  amount  of 
capacity,  with  a  good  deal  of  active  energy ; 
but,  as  I  understood  from  good  authority,  not 
very  manageable,  nor  calculated  to  lessen  the 
difficulties  of  his  own  position. 

FROM  DIARY. 

February  21. — Lord  Althorp  and  I  went  to 
Lord  Grey  and  discussed  with  him  my  project 
for  reduction  of  the  force  in  the  Colonies,  and 
one  or  two  other  minor  reforms.  Althorp  agreed 
with  me  beforehand  that  we  should  insinuate 
our  proposal  gradually — begin  with  the  smallest 


184  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  item,  and  end  with  the  reduction  of  the  force, 
to  which  we  thought  the  great  man  would  be  the 
most  averse.  We  did  so ;  and  it  was  amusing  to 
observe  how  we  cajoled  the  good  man  for  his 
own  good,  and  obtained  his  consent  to  do  what 
was  right  against  his  own  inclination.  He  re- 
quested me  to  go  to  Sir  Herbert  Taylor,  and  sound 
him  as  to  the  abolition  of  the  Riding  Establish- 
ment at  St.  John's  Wood — a  foolish  pet  child  of 
the  Duke  of  York. 

February  22. — I  saw  Sir  Herbert  Taylor,  with 
whom  I  had  a  long  conversation  on  the  Riding 
Establishment,  and  agreed  with  him  to  remove 
the  School  to  Maidstone,  if  it  could  not  be  done 
away  with  altogether. 

I  afterwards  went  to  the  King's  first  Levee. 
It  was  very  much  crowded.  The  heads  of  the 
Opposition  party  were  there.  The  Duke  of  Wel- 
lington read  an  address  to  His  Majesty  against 
Reform.  This  unusual  proceeding  did  not  please 
the  King,  and  it  made  every  one  of  our  side  very 
angry.  The  Duke  of  Wellington  looked  worn 
and  ill. 

I  had  a  long  conversation  with  Lord  Durham, 
who  was  again  in  the  greatest  alarm  at  the  delay 
in  making  Peers ;  and  says  that  with  the  King's 
repeated  consent  to  the  measure,  and  without  any 
guarantee  from  the  Harrowby  and  Wharncliffe 
party,  it  is  madness  to  hesitate.  The  Duke  of 
Sussex  joined  us,  and  held  exactly  the  same 
language.  "  Pray  tell  the  King,"  said  Lord 


CHAP.  XII.  AT   THE   LEVEE  185 

Durham.  "  I  do,"  said  the  Duke;  "and  pray  1832. 
tell  Lord  Grey,"  added  H.R.H.  "I  have,  and 
it  is  no  use,"  rejoined  his  Lordship.  I  begged 
Lord  Durham  would  let  me  know  in  time  to  save 
myself,  for  as  the  coach  was  to  be  upset  I  should 
certainly  jump  off  first. 

I  could  not  help  admiring  the  quantity  of 
fine  equipages,  and  fine  clothes,  and  smiling 
faces;  and  almost  all  belonging  to  persons  who 
believe  themselves,  and  perhaps  are,  on  the 
brink  of  destruction ;  for  that  a  great  and  deadly 
struggle  is  at  hand,  no  man  can  well  doubt ;  and 
all  those  who  do  not  feel  horror  at  the  creation 
of  Peers  are  equally  alarmed  at  the  consequences 
of  refusing  to  do  so.  I  spoke  to  many  on  the 
subject ;  amongst  them  Lord  Cleveland,  who 
owned  to  me  he  saw  no  security  except  in  the 
creation  of  Peers ;  and  he  expressed  most  strongly 
his  anxiety  that  it  should  take  place.  Even 
Lord,  or  rather  Lady  Stafford,  holds  the  same 
language. 

February  24. — I  went  to  Lord  Hill  and  Lord 
Pitzroy  Somerset,  and  laid  before  them  the  project 
of  reduction  of  the  forces  which  had  been  agreed 
upon  between  Lord  Althorp  and  myself.  I  felt 
myself  justified  in  declaring  it  to  be  a  proposal, 
not  only  of  the  War  Office  but  of  the  Cabinet. 
Coming  away  I  thought  it  better  to  intimate 
that  the  proposal  should  be  considered  quite 
confidential. 

February  26.— A  letter  from  Lord  Althorp  telling 

VOL.    IV  24 


186  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  me  that  I  have  pressed  Lord  Hill  a  little  too  far 
in  saying  the  King's  Cabinet  were  determined 
on  the  reduction,  and  that  Lord  Goderich  com- 
plained to  Lord  Grey  of  arrangements  being 
made  without  him  who  was  the  War  Secretary 
of  State. 

I  was  highly  indignant  at  this  letter,  and  an- 
swered it  most  decisively,  saying  that  to  me 
personally  it  was  a  matter  of  indifference  what 
reductions  took  place  so  long  as  I  was  not  a 
responsible  Minister ;  but  that  as  to  this  par- 
ticular recommendation  I  could  not  permit  any 
wrong  notions  to  prevail  as  to  my  real  position. 
I  said  I  considered  myself  merely  the  organ,  not 
the  adviser  of  Ministers  about  the  ensuing  esti- 
mates, merely  holding  my  place  as  an  excuse 
for  sitting  on  the  Treasury  Bench,  and  thereby 
giving  myself  a  chance  of  being  useful  to  the 
cause  of  Reform — my  only  object. 

When  I  sent  this  letter  I  thought  it  not  at  all 
improbable  that  Lord  Grey  might  say  that  he 
would  not  have  any  Secretary-at-War  on  those 
terms ;  and  for  this  result  I  was  not  only  prepared, 
but  I  contemplated  it  with  no  small  pleasure,  for 
though  I  will  never  desert  these  men  so  long 
as  they  do  not  abandon  their  own  cause,  nor  treat 
me  unfairly,  still  I  should  not,  of  course,  be  sorry 
to  have  a  real  excuse  for  extricating  myself  from 
a  party  whom  I  now  find  to  be  divided  amongst 
themselves,  and  beyond  the  salutary  advice  of 
honest  adherents. 


CHAP.  XII.     ADDITIONAL   MEMBERS   FOR   LONDON     187 

I  am  quite  sure  that  in  the  absorbing  contem-  1832. 
plation  of  their  own  interests,  and  whilst  thinking 
as  they  well  may  do  how  to  save  their  own  necks, 
they  do  not  bestow  a  thought  upon  a  victim  more 
or  less  of  their  own  projects  for  patching  up  their 
power.  They  thought  it  a  good  thing  for  the 
moment  to  prevail  on  me  to  be  their  Secretary- 
at-War,  but  have  never  thought  afterwards 
whether  I  was  to  sink  or  swim.  Indeed,  Lord 
Grey  said  to  Althorp,  "  He  (meaning  me)  will 
be  no  worse  off  than  myself  and  all  of  us." 
Mighty  fine !  I,  who  have  had  no  share,  either 
of  the  enterprise  or  glory,  if  any,  am  to  be  over- 
whelmed by  the  defeat,  and  the  country  too !  !  ! 

February  28. — We  had  a  grand  struggle  to- 
night on  additional  Members  to  the  Metropolis. 
It  seems  that  a  party  headed  by  Lord  George 
Bentinck  have  been  endeavouring  to  persuade 
certain  moderate  reformers  to  concede  this  point, 
in  order  to  make  the  Bill  more  palatable  to  the 
Lords,  and  thereby  avoid  making  Peers.  We 
divided,  and  had  a  large  majority  of  80  against 
the  modification. 

Our  set  were  much  pleased,  perhaps  without 
reason,  for  if  Lord  Grey  will  not  make  Peers,  and 
if  this  majority  widens  the  breach  between  the 
middlemen  and  the  Ministers,  what  is  to  become 
of  us  in  the  Lords  ?  My  own  opinion,  however, 
is,  that  the  stronger  we  send  the  Bill  to  the 
Lords,  the  more  sacrifices  we  can  subsequently 
make,  and  the  less  they  will  probably  demand. 


188  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  March  2. — Sir  James  Graham  came  to  me  about 
our  Mutiny  Bills,  and  then  talked  of  the  position 
of  the  Ministry.  He  was  desponding.  He  said 
not  only  Grey  was  faltering,  but  Brougham  was 
again  sick,  and  even  Althorp  was  not  decided, 
besides  which  others  of  the  Cabinet  were  divided 
against  the  creation  of  Peers.  I  said  that  the  lives 
of  the  Ministry,  to  say  nothing  of  their  properties, 
would  pay  the  penalty  of  a  failure,  and  that 
the  country  would  not  allow  them  to  walk  out 
of  office  to  their  villas.  He  agreed  with  me, 
and  with  that  sort  of  half -laugh  which  men  put 
on  when  in  alarm,  talked  of  the  revolution  which 
was  inevitable  -upon  their  retiring  from  office. 

He  told  me  he  thought  that  Hardinge  would 
be  against  our  supplementary  Mutiny  Bill ;  but 
I  think  Graham,  being  a  man  of  stratagem  him- 
self, is  too  apt  to  suspect  deep  designs  in  others. 

I  repeated  this  conversation  to  Lord  Althorp, 
who  replied,  "  Graham  is  always  in  the  suds. 
Brougham  is  not  sick  again ;  when  most  calm 
he  is  most  determined.  We  shall  do ;  but  come 
to-morrow,  and  we  will  have  the  sequel  of  our 
former  conversation. ' ' 

March  3. — Went  to  Lord  Althorp's.  We  had 
a  long  conversation — not  so  encouraging  as  I  had 
expected  from  what  he  had  said  the  day  before. 
It  seems  the  King  will  allow  them  to  make 
fifty  Peers ;  that  some  doubts  are  entertained 
whether  such  a  creation  would  not  cause  some 
of  their  own  friends  to  vote  against  them;  and 


CHAP.  XII.          LORD   ALTHORP'S   DILEMMA  189 

that  this  fear,  as  well  as  the  repugnance  to  what 
they  consider  a  revolutionary  coup  d'etat,  inclines 
the  majority  of  the  Cabinet  to  risk  the  second 
reading  without  making  Peers,  although,  as  yet, 
they  have  nothing  like  conversions  enough  to 
enable  them  to  count  upon  success.  They  think 
they  gain  friends,  but  they  are  not  certain — a  few 
days  would  enable  them  to  judge  better  of  the 
lists ;  and,  said  Althorp,  "  I  must  decide  what 
I  will  do — resign,  because  my  colleagues  will  not 
make  Peers,  or  stand  the  risk  with  them.  If  the 
latter,  and  we  are  beaten,  I  can  never  show  my 
face  again.  If  the  former,  I  know  the  Govern- 
ment is  dissolved,  and  the  Bill  is  lost,  and  perhaps 
a  revolution  ensues. 

"  I  tell  you,"  added  the  excellent  man,  with 
much  feeling  and  earnestness,  "  I  have  long  felt 
that  uncontrollable  circumstances  were  advancing 
me  to  a  position  to  which  my  capacity  is  unequal ; 
and  I  now  feel  that  I  have  not  the  mind  which 
is  required  for  a  man  in  my  station.  I  do  not 
allude  to  my  conduct  in  Parliament.  There, 
I  think,  I  have  succeeded  in  a  line  altogether 
new  and  untried  before.  I  allude  to  my  manage- 
ment out  of  the  House,  and  more  especially  in 
consulting  with  my  colleagues.  Then  I  find  I 
have  not  character  enough  for  the  great  emer- 
gency out  of  which  we  are  to  extricate  ourselves." 

I  told  him  that,  if  he  threatened  to  resign 
unless  Peers  were  made  before  the  second  reading, 
the  Cabinet  would  yield.  "  I  do  not  know  that," 


190  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  said  he ;  "  they  would  rather  go  out  with  me ; 
and  then  comes  a  revolution  "  ;  and  he  then  added 
gravely,  "  I  do  not  know  whether  I  ought  not 
to  make  matters  easier  by  shooting  myself." 
"  For  God's  sake  !  "  said  I,  "  shoot  anybody  else 
you  like." 

I  told  him  that,  "if  he  went  out  even  without 
his  colleagues  in  the  Cabinet,  others  would  resign. 
I  would  not  stay  an  instant  after  he  was  gone; 
nor  would  Poulett  Thomson,  nor  Duncannon, 
nor  even  Edward  Ellice."  "Exactly  so,"  replied 
Althorp,  "and  that  is  what  I  say — the  Govern- 
ment will  be  destroyed ;  and,  for  all  this,  I  shall 
be  responsible.  Better  to  shoot  myself !  "  I 
repeated  "  that  I  would  lay  my  life  that,  if  he 
threatened  to  resign,  his  colleagues  would  yield." 
He  still  hesitated.  He  said  that  they  were  all 
agreed  Peers  should  be  made  after  the  second 
reading,  if  they  wanted  them  in  Committee  ;  but 
they  wished  to  run  the  risk  of  the  second  reading. 
Erom  this  course  he  was,  at  present,  averse, 
because  he  confessed  he  did  not  see  his  way,  nor 
think  that  they  had  pledges  enough  to  justify 
such  a  risk  ;  yet  he  dreaded  resignation  as  the 
certain  commencement  of  national  ruin.  He 
added  afterwards  that  he  should  think  himself 
justified  in  regarding  his  own  security  in  pre- 
ference to  that  of  his  colleagues ;  and,  conse- 
quently, unless  he  saw  what  any  man  of  ordinary 
sense  would  call  sufficient  ground  for  being  sure 
that  the  second  reading  would  pass  without 


CHAP.  XII.        DANGERS    FROM   BIRMINGHAM  191 

creation  of  Peers,  Peers  should  be  made,  or  he 
would  resign,  let  what  would  come  of  it. 

I  urged  every  topic  I  could  think  of  to  induce 
him  to  abide  by  this  determination.  I  combated 
the  notion  that  making  new  Peers  would  disgust 
old  friends  ;  and  I  said  that,  if  fifty  Peers  were 
not  enough  to  carry  the  Bill,  I  would  make 
seventy.  I  did  not  deny  that  the  measure  was 
revolutionary  ;  but  so  was  the  Reform  Bill,  and 
I  would  not  be  frightened  by  a  word.  I  con- 
fessed that,  if  I  saw  a  certainty  of  carrying  the 
second  reading  without  Peers,  I  should  prefer  so 
doing;  but,  if  the  slightest  doubt  existed,  not  a 
moment  should  be  lost. 

He  seemed  to  agree  with  my  view ;  but  added 
that  some  in  the  Cabinet  were  afraid  of  Lord 
Durham  taking  some  violent  step  at  once,  and 
resigning.  I  replied,  I  did  not  think  he  would 
do  any  such  thing  ;  he  was  too  fond  of  office, 
as  also  were  several  of  his  colleagues.  Lord 
Althorp  remarked,  I  was  right.  Lord  Althorp's 
concluding  remark  on  this  part  of  the  subject 
was  that  his  own  impression  was  the  Bill,  some- 
how or  the  other,  would  pass. 

Before  I  left,  I  heard  from  him  that  Attwood  of 
Birmingham  had  been  with  him  in  a  great  fright 
at  the  state  of  his  town  ;  "so,"  continued  Althorp, 
"  I  was  obliged  to  tell  him  all  was  safe."  I  con- 
fessed that  such  an  assurance  was  an  awkward 
addition  to  his  difficulties.  "  Why,  what  could  I 
say  ?  "  rejoined  he.  I  owned  that  his  position 


192  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  was  a  very  difficult  one ;  but  still  I  could  not 
help  thinking  such  an  assurance  would  certainly 
become  public,  and,  if  any  mischief  occurred, 
would  be  quoted  against  him.  I  found  that 
Althorp  thought  our  large  majority  on  the  Metro- 
politan Members  clause  made  a  compromise  more 
difficult ;  yet  he  was  persuaded  that,  if  the  second 
reading  passed,  the  Bill  was  safe. 

PROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

I  have  been  thus  particular  in  recording  this 
conversation,  nearly  verbatim,  in  order  to  convey 
some  notion  of  the  difficulties  encountered  by 
Lord  Grey's  Cabinet  in  passing  the  Reform  Bill ; 
and,  more  particularly,  to  give  credit  to  him  to 
whom  most  credit  was  due  for  accomplishing  that 
great  work.  Lord  Althorp  was  Chancellor  of  the 
Exchequer  and  Leader  of  the  House  of  Commons  ; 
but  he  was  something  more — being  possessed  of 
the  unlimited  confidence  of  the  great  majority  of 
the  House  of  Commons,  to  say  nothing  of  his  well- 
earned  reputation  throughout  the  whole  country. 
It  is  true  that  he  was  powerfully  assisted  in  debate 
by  Lord  John  Russell  and  Mr.  Stanley ;  but  he 
was  the  mainstay  of  Lord  Grey's  Government,  and 
subsequent  events  proved  how  much  importance 
was  attached  to  his  personal  influence. 

This  same  evening  I  presided  at  a  public  dinner 
of  officers  of  the  Army  and  Navy,  met  to  inaugu- 
rate a  new  Society  for  maintaining  a  Library, 
Reading-room,  and  Museum  for  the  use  of  the 


CHAP.  XII.  LANGUAGE   IN   PARLIAMENT  193 

armed  professions.  The  day  went  off  well,  and 
the  guests  seemed  pleased  with  their  chairman. 
But  here,  again,  I  could  not  help  contrasting  my 
position  with  my  political  opinions ;  and  I  felt  it 
would  require  much  address,  and  more  good  for- 
tune, to  come  out  of  the  furnace  unsinged.  I 
think  the  best  plan  would  be  to  pass  through 
the  fire,  like  the  conjurers,  as  quickly  as  possible. 

March  5. — Very  hard  words  passed  between 
Mr.  Croker  and  Mr.  Ewart  in  the  House  to-day. 
The  latter  told  the  former  that  his  accuracy 
could  be  equalled  only  by  his  modesty  and 
humility.  Mr.  Croker  retorted,  and  defended  him- 
self against  what  he  called  the  "  low  calumny  " 
of  his  antagonist.  I  rose  to  stop  him,  and  Stanley 
afterwards  made  up  the  difference. 

I  give  this  as  a  specimen  of  the  language 
occasionally  used  in  the  unreformed  House  of 
Commons,  as  I  read  in  some  publication  a  most 
audacious  assertion  of  the  inferiority  in  good 
manners  and  decent  behaviour  of  the  Parliaments 
chosen  since  the  passing  of  the  Reform  Bill. 

FROM  DIARY. 

March  7. — I  went  to  Lord  Grey  to  settle  about 
Army  Reductions.  After  some  talk  about  the  best 
way  of  reducing  Colonial  forces,  he  said,  "  Upon  my 
honour,  I  think  we  cannot  reduce  any  of  our  force, 
and  that  gets  rid  of  our  difficulties."  To  be  sure ; 
nothing  so  simple!  I  pocketed  my  papers,  and 
Stanley  being  announced,  took  my  leave. 

VOL.  iv  25 


194  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  Another  agreeable  occurrence :  I  am  sent  to 
Lord  Hill  to  propose  a  reduction  of  five  thousand 
men.  He  hands  to  Lord  Grey  a  counter  project. 
After  a  fortnight's  delay,  Lord  Grey  gives  up  his 
reduction  altogether,  and  thus  takes  part  with 
his  enemy  the  Commander-in-Chief  against  his 
friend  the  Secretary-at-War,  leaving  me  discom- 
fited in  my  efforts  to  do  him  and  the  country  a 
service. 

I  told  Lord  Althorp  that  under  any  other  than 
the  present  circumstances  I  would  not  remain  in 
office  an  hour  on  such  conditions ;  but  poor  Lord 
Grey  was  evidently  thinking  of  his  Eeform  and 
his  Irish  Tithes,  and  was  glad  to  get  rid  of  his 
Army  Estimates  at  any  terms. 

March  10. — Lord  Althorp  asked  me  to  walk 
home  to  Downing  Street  with  him,  "  in  order," 
said  he,  "  to  talk  de  summa  rerum"  This  was  the 
only  time  I  ever  heard  him  use  a  Latin  phrase. 

He  told  me  that  he  had  laboured  hard  to 
prevail  on  the  Cabinet  to  create  Peers,  as  the 
only  safe  mode  of  accomplishing  their  great 
object ;  for,  if  they  proposed  making  fifty  Peers, 
and  the  King  refused,  and  they  went  out,  and  the 
Eill  was  lost — they,  however,  would  not  be  lost, 
nor  the  country  convulsed,  and  Eeform  would 
come  by  their  return  to  power;  also,  if  they 
made  fifty  Peers,  and  yet  were  overpowered  in 
the  Lords,  just  the  same  result  would  follow, 
for  the  country  would  stand  by  them,  and  the 
Eill  be  carried  finally.  But  if  they  were  beaten 


CHAP.  XII.       CHARACTER  OR  COUNTRY         195 

in  the  Lords,  without  making  Peers,  everything 
would  be  lost — the  Bill,  their  character,  and  the 
country  too. 

To  this  the  opponents  in  the  Cabinet  reply 
that,  they  have  a  moral  certainty  of  carrying  the 
second  reading  of  the  Bill  by  14  to  20  majority, 
and  after  that,  Peers,  if  wanted,  might  be  created. 

This  did  not  satisfy  Lord  Althorp,  nor  Brougham, 
who  certainly  acts  with  Althorp.  Then  comes  the 
question,  should  Althorp  resign  ?  He  has  ascer- 
tained that  his  threat  to  do  so  would  not  induce 
the  others  to  make  Peers,  it  would  only  make 
them  resign  ;  then  would  follow  the  loss  of  the 
Bill,  and  perhaps  a  convulsion  in  the  country. 
"  But,"  said  Althorp,  ((  my  own  character  would 
undoubtedly  be  saved.  However,"  he  continued, 
"  a  man  under  certain  circumstances  ought  to 
sacrifice  his  character  for  the  sake  of  his  country." 
I  said,  of  course  he  ought,  but  then  he  should 
be  sure  that  his  country  was  to  be  the  gainer, 
and  I  did  not  see  how  that  would  be  the 
case  now. 

Althorp  evidently  agreed  with  my  view  of  the 
question,  but  showed  he  did  not  know  how  to 
extricate  himself  from  his  individual  difficulties. 
He  said  that  on  any  other  question  than  this  he 
should  say  that  Government  had  a  certainty  of 
success,  but  on  this  his  mind  misgave  him.  He 
should,  however,  insist  on  some  demonstration  in 
the  House  of  Lords  previously  to  the  second  read- 
ing, in  order  to  be  sure  who  were  going  to  vote 


196  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  with  them.  He  added  that  a  day  or  two  would 
decide  what  was  to  he  done,  and  he  would  let 
me  know  immediately. 

We  then  turned  to  other  topics,  and  Lord 
Althorp  observed  to  me  that  no  Administration 
could  stand  against  an  Opposition  of  250  Members, 
organised  as  our  antagonists  were,  and  ready  to 
vote  factiously  on  every  occasion,  and  that  nothing 
hut  a  dissolution  after  the  passing  of  the  Reform 
Bill  could  save  them. 

We  then  had  a  conversation  on  my  office.  He 
agreed  with  me  that,  if  the  Bill  passed,  a  thorough 
reform  should  take  place  in  the  management  of 
the  Army;  and  that  no  man  of  honour  or  inde- 
pendence would  consent  to  he  Secretary-at-War 
without  it. 

Althorp  told  me  hefore  that,  when  the  Whigs 
came  in,  he  wanted  Parnell  to  be  Chief  Lord 
Commissioner  of  the  Treasury.  Parnell  wrote 
back  that  there  was  only  one  place  he  could 
take,  and  that  was  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer. 
"Now,"  said  Althorp,  "to  write  this  to  the 
Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  was  a  little  too 
much."  I  think  so. 

I  went  away  pondering  on  my  own  position, 
whether  I  ought  to  resign  now,  for  I  see  the  Bill  is 
to  be  risked,  which  is  not  the  condition  on  which  I 
came  into  office.  I  think  my  character  is  at  stake. 
How  am  I  to  save  it  in  the  general  wreck  ?  It 
may  be  selfish  to  think  so  much  about  it,  never- 
theless I  do  think  of  it  daily  and  nightly. 


CHAP.  XII.  FLOGGING   IN    THE    ARMY  197 

I  dined  at  Lansdowne  House.  Lord  Plunket  1832. 
there ;  silent,  and  rather  sulky,  at  least  looking 
so.  He  told  me  he  supposed  the  Bill  was  safe. 
Lady  Charlemont  and  Lady  Kenmare  there  also, 
each  of  them,  though  in  different  ways,  looking 
very  beautiful. 

March  11. — The  Duke  of  Wellington  sent  me 
an  Essay  on  flogging  soldiers.  It  seemed  to  me 
very  well  written.  He  says  the  British  soldier 
must  be  the  best  in  the  world,  meaning,  I  presume, 
that  there  is  a  sort  of  moral  necessity  for  this 
superiority,  not  that  it  is  inevitable  from  physical 
circumstances  that  he  should  be  so. 

I  am  striving  hard  with  Lord  Hill  to  modify 
military  punishment,  and  as  I  cannot  do  away 
with  flogging,  at  least  to  put  it  under  strict 
regulations. 

March  12. — I  asked  Ellice  what  he  thought 
of  our  chances  for  the  second  reading  in  the 
Lords  without  Peers.  He  tossed  up  his  glove 
and  said,  Just  this.  On  which  I  said  that  in  that 
case  I  conceived  the  Administration  was  mad. 

March  13. — Went  to  Lord  Durham,  who  had 
sent  to  see  me  very  urgently. 

He  told  me  the  story  of  his  division  with  his 
Cabinet  friends  on  Sunday,  and  read  to  me  four 
resolutions  which  he  had  moved  on  that  occasion; 
the  first  three  declaratory  of  the  insufficiency 
and  unsatisfactory  calculation  for  the  majority 
on  the  second  reading,  and  the  fourth  declaring 
the  necessity  for  an  immediate  creation  of  Peers. 


198  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  He  said  that  the  majority  of  the  Cabinet  agreed 
with  him  in  the  first  three  propositions,  hut  was 
not  prepared  to  go  out  upon  them.  However, 
when  the  Duke  of  Richmond  insisted  upon  going 
to  the  vote,  all  were  against  the  motion,  and  he 
stood  alone.  He  showed  me  the  paper  on  which 
the  pencil  marks  were  made.  On  this  he  resolved 
to  resign,  and  had  written  a  letter  to  Lord  Grey ; 
hut  in  the  meantime  came  a  member  of  the 
Cabinet,  no  other  than  Lord  John  Russell,  and 
said  that  if  Lord  Durham  went  out,  he  would 
resign  also.  Seeing  that  the  Cabinet  would  be 
broken  up  and  Reform  certainly  lost,  Lord  Durham 
resolved  to  remain  in  office. 

Then  he  told  me  that  this  was  the  dark  side 
of  the  picture,  but  there  was  a  brighter.  He 
did  really  think  that  the  second  reading  would 
be  carried.  His  course  had  done  good ;  even 
Palmerston  had  declared  he  would  stand  by  the 
franchise.  Goderich  had  assured  him  that  the 
Metropolitan  Members  should  not  be  given  up, 
and  Lansdowne  also;  moreover,  all  were  agreed 
upon  making  Peers  after  the  second  reading,  if 
necessary.  The  majority  is  expected  to  be  twelve. 
The  King  is  bestirring  himself,  which  he  did  not 
do  before. 

Brougham  is  ill  and  out  of  sorts.  He  used 
to  laugh  and  play  off  Palmerston  and  his  speeches, 
now  he  sits  silent. 

Lord  Durham  showed  me  the  letter  which  the 
King  wrote  to  Lord  Grey  when  he  agreed  to 


CHAP.  XII.          LORD   DURHAM   AND   THE   KING  199 

dissolve  the  late  Parliament,  verbosa  et  grandis,  1832. 
stating  all  his  objections,  and  consenting  only 
because  he  thought  a  change  of  Ministry  pre- 
judicial to  England  and  to  Europe,  merely  as 
change.  He  expressed  that  he  had  the  same 
regret  to  see  the  Duke  of  Wellington  go  out 
of  office.  There  was  a  civility  and  kindness, 
and  approbation  of  Lord  Grey's  conduct,  but 
still  no  great  regard  shown ;  and  the  King 
positively  enjoined  Lord  Grey  to  take  care  that 
there  should  be  no  stronger  Reform  Bill  than 
before,  no  violence  tolerated,  and  Ireland  was 
to  be  kept  quiet. 

Lord  Grey  employed  Lord  Durham  to  write 
his  answer,  which  he  showed  me.  It  was  very 
well  done,  and  bound  the  King  to  Reform  in 
as  civil  and  respectful  terms  as  possible.  Lord 
Grey  seems  to  have  thought  much  of  the  letter, 
for  in  a  note  to  Lord  Durham  he  calls  it 
"perfect." 

Durham  told  me  that  the  King  had  never 
forgiven  him  a  letter  written  on  the  subject  of 
dissolution,  shown  by  Sir  H.  Taylor  to  His 
Majesty.  The  King  never  speaks  to  him  at 
Council,  all  which  he  bears,  he  says,  for  love 
of  the  cause. 

Lord  John  Russell  called  at  the  War  Office, 
and  talked  an  hour  with  me  on  the  same  subject 
as  that  with  Lord  Durham.  I  told  him  my  mind 
freely,  and  also  what  I  thought  of  Lord  Grey 
and  some  of  his  colleagues,  to  which  he  more 


200  LONDON  CHAP.  XII. 

1832.  than  half  assented.  He  agreed  that,  if  they  were 
defeated,  the  least  that  would  happen  would  be 
"  eternal  infamy  "  for  them ;  but,  added  he,  "  you 
are  on  velvet."  "Yes,"  I  said,  "I  should  be 
reckoned  only  a  dupe." 

I  collected  nothing  satisfactory  from  him  except 
that  his  impression  was  the  Bill  would  pass  the 
second  reading.  At  any  rate,  he  thought  Reform 
safe  even  if  the  Ministry  went  out,  for  no  anti- 
Heforming  party  would  control  the  present  House 
of  Commons. 

The  Tories  are  now  convinced  that  Reform  is 
inevitable  ;  and  one  of  them  said  to  Lord  Durham 
to-day,  that  it  was  no  use  throwing  out  this 
Bill,  for  if  they  did  another  would  be  brought 
in  on  a  more  extended  basis  by  Sir  J.  Hobhouse. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

FROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

March. — In  those  days  Ministers  had  much  to 
contend  with  beyond  their  Parliamentary  diffi- 
culties. For  example,  the  letters  of  several  active 
politicians  were  opened  at  foreign  Courts,  particu- 
larly at  Paris  ;  and,  if  they  contained  anything 
the  authorities  thought  worth  communicating, 
were  copied  and  sent  to  London.  One  copy  was 
always  sent  to  His  Majesty,  another  to  the 
Prime  Minister,  and  another  to  the  Home  Secre- 
tary. One  of  Joseph  Hume's  letters  was  thus 
forwarded  in  triplicate.  The  imprudent  man 
wrote  of  the  Reform  Bill  as  being  a  good  measure 
so  far  as  it  went,  and  as  certain  of  producing  a 
better,  accompanied  by  the  destruction  of  our 
Church  Establishment.  This  angered  King 
William  exceedingly,  and  did  not  add  to  his 
attachment  to  the  Grey  Cabinet. 

FROM  DIARY. 

March  14. — I  went  to  the  Levee,  and  after- 
wards had  an  audience  of  the  King.  Received 
very  civilly  indeed.  After  some  talk  he  ordered 
me  to  remove  the  Riding  Establishment  to  the 

VOL.  iv  201  26 


202  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.  Maidstone  Depot.  We  then  talked  about  Sand- 
hurst. He  agreed  with  me  that  it  ought  to  pay 
its  own  expenses,  hut  when  he  heard  that  the 
Duke  of  Wellington  and  the  Board,  who  have 
heen  inquiring  into  this  subject,  were  against 
that  plan  being  carried  entirely  into  effect,  he 
told  me  to  settle  the  question  with  Lord  Hill, 
saying  that  he  was  glad  to  find  that  we  agreed 
so  well  together. 

I  spoke  to  him  as  freely  as  I  thought  decent, 
and  told  him  that,  although  the  objections  to  these 
establishments  might  rise  from  prejudice,  and 
although  the  saving  would  be  small,  yet  it  would 
be  advisable  to  give  way  where  concession  would 
not  be  injurious  to  the  service.  The  King  said 
certainly,  and  the  saving,  however  little,  would 
show  the  inclination  of  Government  to  be 
economical.  He  told  me  that  he  was  for  in- 
creasing rather  than  diminishing  the  establish- 
ments in  question,  but  not  at  the  public  expense. 
I  ventured  to  say  that  I  should  want  every 
assistance  which  His  Majesty  might  afford  to 
me,  and  I  hoped  that  in  any  amicable  contest 
with  the  Horse  Guards  His  Majesty  would  support 
his  Secretary-at-War.  The  King  said  nothing, 
but  did  not  appear  displeased. 

Prom  what  I  have  seen  of  the  manners  of  the 
King,  not  to  me  personally,  but  to  others,  my 
impression  is  that  he  does  not  like  his  present 
Ministers. 

Lord  Hill  and  I  had  some  talk  after  the  Levee. 


CHAP.  XIII.  THE    ETTRICK   SHEPHERD  203 

He  showed  the  report  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington's  1832, 
board.  I  said  since  His  Grace  had  been  so  good 
as  to  settle  this  estimate  for  me,  I  presented  my 
respectful  compliments  to  him  and  requested  him 
to  arrange  all  the  rest  for  me.  The  Commander- 
in-Chief  looked  a  little  red,  and  did  not  relish 
the  joke. 

This  night,  in  the  Commons,  we  got  through 
the  Committee  on  the  Reform  Bill,  and  fixed  the 
third  reading  for  the  following  Monday. 

March  16. — Lord  Althorp  tells  me  that  a  friend 
of  his  has  seen  a  letter  from  Lord  Mansfield  to 
a  correspondent  in  Paris,  in  which  was  this 
expression  :  "  The  Bill  will  be  carried  by  a  very 
small  majority,  which  will  be  the  less  of  two 
evils  ;  as  rejecting  it  would  cause  a  convulsion." 

March  17. — Dined  at  S.S.B.S.,  where  I  met 
Mr.  Hogg,  the  Ettrick  Shepherd.  He  was  a 
good-natured,  broad,  and  sandy-faced  man,  sang 
his  own  songs,  and  made  excellent  whisky- 
punch. 

Macleod  of  Macleod  was  at  this  party,  and 
he  told  me  of  the  poetical  Shepherd,  that  he 
met  Sir  Robert  Peel  at  dinner  at  his  (Macleod's) 
house,  and  said,  "  Faith !  Sir  Robert,  I  heard 
you  praised  by  both  sides  the  other  night ;  I  hope 
you  are  not  going  to  rat !  "  Peel  did  not  like 
it  at  all.  Afterwards  Peel  asked  Hogg  if  he 
had  ever  been  in  the  House  of  Commons  ?  Hogg 
said  he  had ;  but  he  had  never  heard  those  whom 
he  wanted  to  hear — he  had  never  heard  Sir  Robert 


204  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.  Peel.  On  this  Peel  smiled,  and  said  he  would 
take  him  down  that  evening,  and  would  speak ; 
on  which  Hogg  replied,  "  Thankye,  no ;  this  is  a 
wetter  table  than  yours." 

Hogg  seemed  to  me  to  be  a  simple,  funny 
fellow,  and,  on  the  occasion  before  alluded  to,  he 
told  Sir  Robert  Peel  it  was  of  no  use  his  sitting 
to  oppose  the  Reform  Bill  any  longer,  "  it  looked 
just  like  ill-nature." 

March  19. — At  House  of  Commons,  where  third 
reading  of  the  Reform  Bill  came  on. 

March  23. — The  third  reading  of  our  Bill  passed 
in  a  very  thin  House,  amidst  no  cheers,  at  about 
one  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

March  24. — Dining  at  Holland  House,  I  found 
my  Lady,  in  spite  of  our  large  majority,  in  very 
low  spirits.  She  quite  agreed  with  me  on  the 
probability  of  defeat ;  and  said  that  Lord  Holland 
had  been  for  decisive  measures  from  first  to  last, 
that  the  King  was  as  true  as  true  could  be,  and 
that  the  timidity  of  Lord  Grey  was  unaccountable. 
Even  if  all  went  according  to  promise,  Lady 
Holland  said  there  could  not  be  more  than  8 
majority. 

Lord  Holland  repeated  all  my  Lady  had  said- 
regretted  that  twenty  Peers  had  not  been  made  at 
Christmas ;  but  even  now  Lord  Grey  persists  in 
saying  that  by  making  sixty  Peers  he  runs  more 
risk  of  defeat  than  by  not  making  one. 

Lord  Holland  remarked  that  the  prorogation 
was  clearly  to  be  used  only  on  great  occasions, 


CHAP.  XIII.  AT    KENSINGTON    PALACE  205 

but  this  was  the  occasion.  It  was  the  sword  of  1832. 
Goliath  to  be  taken  from  the  Temple1  once  in 
a  century  perhaps.  He  said  he  was  sure  the  King 
was  vexed  that  he  had  not  been  called  upon  to 
strike  the  blow;  he  liked  such  lively  demon- 
strations of  power,  and  he  disliked  the  Tories. 
Both  these  facts  I  never  heard  before,  if  facts 
they  be.  The  whole  of  this  conversation  was  very 
unsatisfactory  to  me.  I  am  sure  the  Cabinet 
anticipate  defeat. 

Lady  Holland  was  peculiarly  earnest,  not  to 
say  pathetic:  "My  dear  H."  and  "  Dear  H."  at 
every  sentence,  and  "  Oh  that  we  could  retrace 
our  steps."  We  agreed  to  put  a  good  face  on 
the  matter,  and  so  were  merry  as  before.  In  the 
meantime  the  Tories  predict  that  we  shall  beat 
them,  which  is  more  frightful  still,  for  this  was 
their  cry  last  time. 

FROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

March  26. — I  dined  at  Kensington  Palace  with 
the  Duchess  of  Kent.  The  party  was  numerous : 
Lord  Durham,  Lord  and  Lady  Surrey,  the  Duke 
of  Somerset  and  Lady  C.  St.  Maur,  Lord  Radnor, 
Sir  John  Sebright,  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of 
Leinster,  and  Sir  John  Conroy.  The  Princess 

1  No  doubt  the  tabernacle  is  meant  (see  1  Sam.  xxi.  8,  9).  David 
applied  to  Ahimelech  at  Nob  for  shewbread,  and  also  for  arms. 
And  Ahimelech  answered,  "The  sword  of  Goliath  the  Philistine, 
whom  thou  slewest  in  the  valley  of  Elah,  behold,  it  is  here  wrapped 
in  a  cloth  behind  the  ephod :  if  thou  wilt  take  that,  take  it :  for  there 
is  no  other  save  that  here.  And  David  said,  There  is  none  like  that ; 
give  it  me." 


206  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.  Victoria  sat  on  her  mother's  right  hand.  Sir 
John  Conroy,  the  Controller  of  H.R.H.'s  house- 
hold, sat  at  the  bottom  of  the  table.  Lord 
Durham  handed  the  Duchess  in  to  dinner. 

The  young  Princess  was  treated  in  every  respect 
like  a  grown-up  woman,  although  apparently 
quite  a  child.  Her  manners  were  very  pleasing 
and  natural,  and  she  seemed  much  amused  by 
some  conversation  with  Lord  Durham,  a  manifest 
favourite  at  Kensington.1 

After  dinner  the  Duchess  of  Kent  came  up  to 
me  in  the  drawing-room,  and  talked  to  me  about 
her  daughter.  H.R.H.  said  "it  was  a  most 
anxious  charge.  She  did  her  best,  and  hoped 
that  her  expectations  would  not  be  disappointed." 
I  took  the  liberty  of  saying  that  the  nation  looked 
up  to  her,  and  that,  from  the  success  which 
apparently  had  attended  her  previous  endeavours, 
there  was  every  reason  to  hope  that  her  daughter 
would  be  everything  that  England  could  desire. 
The  Duchess  asked  me  if  I  did  not  think  the 
Princess  like  the  Royal  Family  ?  I  replied  that 
the  upper  part  of  her  face  was  like  that  of  the 
Princess  Charlotte,  but  the  mouth  and  chin  of 
a  better  shape. 

When    she    left    the     company     she     curtsied 

1  An  interval  of  thirty-three  years,  a  reign  of  twenty-eight  years — 
some  of  them  in  very  difficult  if  not  dangerous  times — and  the 
greatest  of  all  calamities  that  can  befall  a  woman  and  a  Queen, 
have  not  deprived  her  of  the  smile,  the  kind  and  gracious  smile, 
which  charmed  me  in  those  long  by-gone  days,  and  with  which 
she  received  an  old  subject  and  servant  only  two  days  ago.  (B., 
May  15,  1865.) 


CHAP.  XIII.  THE    PRINCESS    VICTORIA  207 

round   very  prettily  to   all  the  guests,  and  then     1832. 
ran    out    of   the   room.      What    will    become   of 
this   young,    pretty,    unaffected   child   in   a    few, 
few  years  ? 

I  was  present  this  afternoon  in  the  House  of 
Lords  when  Lord  John  Russell  brought  up  the 
Reform  Bill.  The  new  gallery  was  crowded  with 
ladies,  the  Throne  covered  with  Members.  The 
body  of  the  House  was  tolerably  full ;  but  the 
interest  was  nothing  like  so  great  as  when  the 
first  Bill  was  brought  up,  nor  did  Russell  put  it 
into  the  Lord  Chancellor's  hands  with  a  solemn 
speech,  as  before. 

Lords  Harrowby  and  Wharncliffe  made  their 
declaration  of  voting  for  the  second  reading ;  and 
they  confessed  that  the  country  contained  no 
party  prepared  for  a  total  rejection  of  the 
measure.  The  Bishop  of  London  made  a  bolder 
and  a  better  speech.  He  said  he  should  have 
voted  for  the  second  reading  of  that  Bill,  and  he 
should  vote  for  the  second  reading  of  this  Bill; 
also  that  he  would  not,  in  Committee,  propose 
any  change  that  would  affect  the  principle  of  the 
Bill.  Lord  Carnarvon  made  an  angry  speech 
against  Lord  Harrowby;  and  then  Lord  Grey 
made  an  excellent  speech — temperate,  but  deter- 
mined, and  in  his  best  manner.  He  fixed 
Thursday  week  for  the  second  reading.  The 
Duke  of  Wellington  spoke  shortly  this  evening, 
and  said  he  should  oppose  the  second  reading. 

March  28. — I  called  on  Lord  Althorp.      He  had 


208  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.  just  returned  from  the  Levee.  6f  It  is  all  right/' 
said  he  ;  "  the  King  will  do  it.  If  we  are  beaten 
the  Parliament  will  be  prorogued,  and  we  shall 
make  eighty  Peers  the  next  day.  The  Cabinet 
are  unanimous  on  that  point."  I  wished  him  joy, 
and  told  him  "  that  now,  indeed,  they  were  on 
velvet."  He  agreed  that  they  were,  and  he  added 
that  "  His  Majesty  was  much  pleased  at  not  being 
pressed  to  make  Peers  before  the  second  reading." 
I  remarked  that  this  did  not  correspond  with 
what  Lord  Holland  had  told  me.  I  then  learnt 
that  Lord  Holland  had  not  much  influence  with 
the  King,  notwithstanding  their  family  connection ; 
and  I  afterwards  heard  from  good  authority  that 
no  one  of  the  Cabinet  had  much  influence  with 
His  Majesty  except  Lord  Grey. 

March  30. — I  brought  in  my  Mutiny  Bill,  and 
the  next  day  read  it  a  second  time. 

April  2. — We  went  into  Committee  on  the 
Mutiny  Bill.  Mr.  Hunt — the  Mr.  Hunt — moved 
to  leave  out  what  he  called  corporeal  punishment 
from  the  Bill.  I  felt  very  uncomfortable,  but 
resolved  to  tell  the  exact  truth ;  which  I  did 
by  saying  that  I  was  as  much  against  flogging 
in  the  Army  as  ever ;  that  all  the  authorities  I 
had  consulted  were  on  the  other  side ;  and  that, 
as  I  did  not  frame  the  Mutiny  Bill,  I  could 
not  help  the  continuance  of  the  practice. 

Sir  Henry  Hardinge  followed  me,  saying  I  was, 
"  as  Secretary-at-War,  responsible  Minister  for  the 
Mutiny  Bill  and  Articles  of  War."  This  got  up  a 


CHAP.  XIII.  THE   NUMBER   OF   NEW   PEERS  209 

cheer  against  me,  and,  truth  to  tell,  I  felt  in  a 
very  unpleasant  predicament,  which  I  had  foreseen 
when  I  took  office ;  for,  though  I  was  not  the 
framer  of  the  Mutiny  Bill,  I  was  the  Minister 
officially  bound  to  defend  it,  and,  if  I  could  not 
defend  it,  I  was  hound  to  give  up  my  office. 

Strange  to  say,  Hunt,  either  from  indifference 
or  generosity,  did  not  press  his  motion  to  a  vote, 
and  I  was  "  quitte  pour  la  peur."  I  hardly  knew 
how  I  could  have  brought  myself  to  vote  against 
him. 

April  4. — The  King  now  hesitates  about  making 
the  requisite  number  of  Peers,  and  said  he  never 
meant  an  unlimited  number,  and  thought  twenty- 
five  would  be  enough,  yet  His  Majesty  certainly 
empowered  Lord  Grey  to  show  to  Lords  Harrowby 
and  Wharncliffe  a  letter  from  him  to  Lord  Grey 
in  which  the  power  of  making  Peers,  without 
any  stated  limit,  was  given  to  him.  Lord  Althorp 
confessed  to  me  that  he  did  not  understand  the 
King  to  have  had  any  reserve  on  this  point ;  but, 
said  Althorp,  "  Kings  are  kings,  even  the  best 
of  them." 

We  then  recurred  to  the  old  topic.  Lord 
Althorp  thought  the  second  reading  would  be 
carried  by  a  small  majority ;  but  Ministers  would 
be  beaten  on  the  first  clause,  where  fifty- six 
boroughs  were  condemned  to  be  disfranchised. 
On  being  beaten,  they  would  propose  to  make 
sixty  Peers — the  King  would  refuse ;  they  would 
resign.  Sir  R.  Peel  would  come  in,  and  would 

VOL.  iv  27 


210  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.  propose  a  moderate  Reform  Bill,  which  they 
would  support.  By  this  process  he  thought  no 
serious  damage  would  be  done  to  the  character 
of  the  Whig  Party,  and  something  would  be 
gained  for  the  cause  of  Reform.  I  disagreed 
with  this  view,  and  told  him  that  the  People 
would  not  understand  why,  when  they  had  the 
power,  they  did  not  make  a  sufficient  number  of 
Peers;  for  this  could  not  be  explained  without 
a  reference  to  the  wishes  and  conduct  of  the 
King. 

Lord  J.  Russell  called,  and  we  had  a  talk  on 
the  Bill.  He  agreed  that  our  prospects  were 
gloomy,  but  said  very  truly  that,  as  the  Govern- 
ment had  not  carried  their  measure  by  force, 
they  ought  not  to  hesitate  about  concession.  It 
would  be  foolish  to  go  out  because  they  were 
beaten  on  the  number  of  boroughs,  which  Althorp 
thought  ought  to  be  the  test. 

April  5. — Dining  with  Sir  Francis  Burdett, 
I  met  Prince  Czartoryski,  and  another  Pole,  a 
patriot  and  a  poet,  whose  name  I  did  not  hear 
distinctly.  The  Prince  was  one  of  the  most 
attractive  men  I  ever  met ;  he  had  an  air  of 
noble  resignation,  which  never  deserted  him  in 
any  emergency.  The  poet  was  a  lively  old  man 
of  very  engaging  manners. 

We  had  some  conversation  on  Cutlar  Per- 
gusson's1  proposed  debate  on  Polish  affairs.  I 

1  Robert   Cutlar   Fergusson,    Judge- Advocate-General,    M.P.   for 
Kirkcudbright. 


CHAP.  XIII.  THE   DUKE   OF   WELLINGTON  211 

thought  it  right  to  mention  that  neither  the 
Parliament  nor  the  public  took  much  interest 
in  foreign  affairs,  except  so  far  as  they,  affected 
the  funds.  The  Prince  seemed  to  agree  with 
me,  and  said  we  wanted  the  will  more  than 
the  power  to  hefriend  the  Poles. 

He  called  on  me  the  next  day,  and  he  seemed 
much  surprised  to  find  that  any  apprehensions 
were  entertained  about  carrying  our  Reform  Bill. 
He  also  assured  me  that  the  English  had  not 
an  adequate  opinion  on  their  own  European 
influence.  I  confessed  that  I  was  not  aware  of 
that  deficiency  in  their  character. 

April  7. — This  was  to  me  a  memorable  day, 
for,  dining  at  our  S.S.B.S.,  I  heard  from  Lord 
Saltoun  a  most  interesting  account  of  the  exploits 
of  the  Guards  at  Hougoumont,  and  of  the  battle 
of  Waterloo  towards  the  close  of  that  great  day ; 
and,  being  at  the  Speaker's  Levee  in  the  evening, 
I  was  introduced  to  the  Duke  of  Wellington. 
He  was  most  kind,  and  encouraged  me  to  talk 
about  his  sporting  pursuits,  and  the  falls  he  had 
had  hunting.  I  could  not  help  congratulating 
him  on  looking  so  well,  and  told  him  that  he 
would  want  all  his  health  for  the  campaign  of 
next  week,  when  the  Reform  battle  was  to  be 
fought.  He  laughed,  and  said,  "  Oh,  our  House 
is  not  so  bad  as  yours ;  we  call  half-past  nine 
late." 

April  8.  Sunday. — A  large  party  dined  with 
me  :  Lord  Hill,  Lord  Pitzroy  Somerset,  Sir  James 


212  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.  Kempt,  Sir  Willoughby  Gordon,  Sir  John  Mac- 
donald,  Lord  Althorp,  Duke  of  Leinster,  Prince 
Cimitile,  Mr.  Vanderweyer,  my  friend  Methuen, 
Lord  Killeen,  and  Macaulay.  It  was  a  sort  of 
official  dinner,  and,  as  the  saying  is,  went  off 
pretty  well. 

Sunday  dinners  were  not  then  reckoned 
sinful. 

April  9. — I  went  to  the  House  of  Lords,  and 
heard  part  of  Lord  Grey's  speech  introducing  our 
Reform  Bill,  and  commenting  on  the  Duke  of 
Buckingham's  fine  project  for  Reform,  which  is 
not  likely  to  allure  a  single  soul.  On  Tuesday 
I  went  again  to  the  Lords,  and  heard  the  Duke 
of  Wellington  declare  in  favour  of  some  Reform. 

The  King  came  to  London  this  day,  in  order 
to  be  in  readiness  to  prorogue  Parliament  if  the 
Bill  should  he  lost,  so  they  said;  and  Lord 
Althorp  again  told  me,  "All  was  right."  But 
the  concluding  sentences  of  Lord  Grey's  speech 
the  day  before  were  rather  desponding. 

April  11. — I  went  to  the  Lords,  and  heard  the 
continuation  of  the  adjourned  debate.  Phillpotts 
of  Exeter  made  a  most  furious  harangue  in 
opposition.  Lord  Durham  answered  his  speech 
the  next  day,  charging  him  with  telling  untruths 
and  speaking  pamphleteering  slang.  Phillpotts 
spoke  again,  and  charged  the  Government  with 
being  connected  with  the  Times  newspaper.  Lord 
Grey  disclaimed  this,  and  accused  the  Bishop  of 
slander  and  want  of  charity. 


CHAP.  XIII.  VICTORY   IN   THE   LORDS  213 

PROM  DIARY. 

April  13. — I  went  into  the  Lords,  and  heard 
Lord  Carnarvon.  The  House  was  not  so  full  as 
on  the  last  Reform  Bill  discussions,  and  the  speak- 
ing was  not  so  lively ;  indeed,  I  thought  it  much 
more  dull.  There  were  many  ladies  in  the  gallery, 
and  many  Members  of  our  House  on  the  steps 
of  the  Throne  and  at  the  Bar.  Sir  James  Graham 
and  Stanley  were  amongst  them,  more  anxious- 
looking,  I  thought,  than  became  Cabinet  Ministers. 
This  certainly  was  a  most  momentous  occasion, 
it  must  be  confessed;  but,  personally,  I  cannot 
say  I  felt  the  least  anxiety,  for  to  tell  the  truth 
I  should  not  dislike  a  decent  excuse  for  quitting 
my  absurd  office.  However,  the  rejection  of  the 
Bill  would  be  most  calamitous  for  England  and 
all  Europe. 

April  14 — At  breakfast  we  heard  newsmen 
crying  something,  and  shortly  after  I  heard  that 
the  second  reading  had  been  carried  by  nine. 
Well  done  Lord  Althorp's  calculations ;  and  well 
done  Lord  Grey's  adherence  to  his  own  persuasion 
that  he  could  safely  risk  this  great  struggle 
without  a  creation  of  Peers ! 

The  division  took  place  at  twenty-five  minutes 
to  seven  this  morning.  For  second  reading : 

Contents.        Non-contents. 

Present     .         .     128  126 

Proxies  56  49 

184  175 


214  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

Every  one  was  in  high  spirits.  Lord  Grey  was 
extolled  as  the  boldest  and  best  of  statesmen, 
and  certain  to  hold  office  for  life.  Seeing  Lord 
Melbourne,  I  congratulated  him  on  the  triumph 
of  the  second  reading.  He  said  it  had  been  a 
most  nervous  moment.  He  did  not  think  that 
all  was  over  yet.  I  told  him  I  thought  that 
having  weathered  the  great  storm  the  rest  of 
the  voyage  would  or  ought  to  be  prosperous ; 
also  that  they  ought  not  to  be  pertinacious  about 
the  clauses  in  Committee,  for  let  the  Lords 
mutilate  the  Bill  as  they  pleased,  it  would  still 
be  ten  times  more  radical  than  Lord  Brougham's 
scheme  in  1830. 

I  hear  Lord  Grey's  concluding  address  was 
splendid,  and  most  forcible  at  the  conclusion. 
He  seemed  to  rise  with  the  occasion.  The  report 
made  him  very  lofty  and  energetic ;  but  at  the 
same  time,  very  prudent,  for  he  is  evidently 
preparing  for  some  concession  about  the  £10 
franchise  or  to  the  schedules. 

EB.OM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

This  day  Prince  Czartoryski  and  his  poetical 
friend  dined  with  me ;  I  asked  Warburton,  Shiel, 
Hudson  Gurney,  George  Sinclair,  Bickersteth, 
and  Ronald  Ferguson  to  meet  them.  I  attempted 
to  convince  them  that  the  English  are  not  the 
sort  of  people  which  the  writers  in  reviews  and 
newspapers  represent  them  to  be — i.e.  are  not 
eager  to  sympathise  with,  at  least  not  to  fight  for, 


CHAP.  XIII.  HUME   AND   THE    WHIGS  215 

the  friends  of  liberty  in  other  countries.  They  1832. 
would  hardly  believe  me ;  and  when  I  told  them 
that  I  did  not  think  Cutlar  Fergusson's  speech 
in  the  ensuing  week  would  produce  much  effect, 
N.  said,  "  Oh,  give  us  a  few  *  hear,  hears,'  at 
least ;  it  will  be  some  encouragement  to  us." 
The  patriot  poet  was  a  most  interesting  old  man 
of  seventy-four  years  old,  but  with  all  the 
liveliness  of  youth. 

Lady  Julia,  who  dined  with  us,  being  some- 
what better,  said  very  truly  that  it  was  impossible 
to  look  at  these  men  without  feeling  a  mournful 
interest  in  them  which  is  too  painful  for  mixed 
society. 

April  16. — At  House  of  Commons.  Joseph 
Hume,  in  a  speech  on  Brazilian  aggressions, 
said  that,  since  the  Whigs  had  been  in  office, 
the  British  flag  had  been  disgraced  in  every 
quarter  of  the  world.  I  often  thought  that 
this  man  was  totally  careless  about  his  own 
assertions,  as  well  as  what  had  been  said  or 
done  by  others.  This  appeared  to  me  strange 
enough  in  any  politician ;  but,  in  a  man  of  long 
experience,  and  much  reputation,  and  very 
high  popular  position,  I  thought  it  totally 
inexplicable. 

EROM  DIARY. 

April  18. — At  the  Levee.  The  King  paid 
marked  attention  to  the  Duke  of  Wellington, 
the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  Lord  Rosslyn, 


216  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.  and,  in  short,  to  the  anti-Reformers.  Our  friends 
seemed  out  of  sorts.  Nevertheless,  when  I  spoke 
to  Althorp  this  evening  in  the  House  of  Commons, 
he  said  that  there  was  no  cause  for  despondency, 
and  I  have  heard  that  Lord  Grey  is  in  good 
spirits.  However,  that  something  has  happened 
at  headquarters  I  feel  sure,  and  the  Tories  begin 
to  lift  up  their  heads  again. 

The  House  of  Commons  adjourned  to  the  7th 
of  May. 

April  24. — The  Cholera  killing  its  thousands 
at  Paris  ;  here  it  is  nearly  extinct. 

PROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

May  3. — I  presided  at  a  dinner  of  the  Literary 
Pund  Club,  where  one  of  the  guests  was  Sir 
John  Swinburne,  a  well-known  traveller  and  a 
remarkable  man.  He  told  us  one  or  two  curious 
stories,  which  I  thought  worth  recording.  He 
was  travelling  to  Berlin  in  the  year  1786,  when 
a  Prench  gentleman,  whose  carriage  had  broken 
down,  asked  for  a  seat  with  him.  Sir  John 
consented  :  a  large,  round,  pock-marked,  powdered 
beau,  in  silk  stockings  dirtied  to  the  ankles  and 
a  white  handkerchief  tied  round  his  head,  entered 
the  carriage,  and  keep  up  a  most  agreeable  con- 
versation with  him  for  the  remainder  of  the 
journey.  This  was  Mirabeau,  going  on  the  secret 
mission  to  Berlin  of  which  he  published  so  curious 
an  account.  Whilst  at  Berlin  Sir  John  Swinburne 
soon  heard  that  Mirabeau,  notwithstanding  all 


CHAP.  XIII.      ANECDOTES    OF    LORD   TOWNSHEND        217 

his  adroitness  and  pretending  to  be  a  persecuted 
man,  had  been  found  out  by  Prince  Henry,  who 
told  Swinburne  that  the  Frenchman  was  a  spy. 
He  borrowed  £50  of  Swinburne,  in  order  to 
keep  up  the  farce,  although  his  pockets  were 
full  of  money.  After  all,  he  did  not  accomplish 
his  main  object  of  giving  the  first  intelligence 
of  the  death  of  Frederick ;  for  the  gates  were 
closed,  and  a  rocket  gave  the  first  signal  of  the 
event,  which  was  passed  on  to  Paris. 

Sir  John  told  two  anecdotes  of  Lord  Townshend, 
when  Lord  Lieutenant  of  Ireland.  At  one  of  his 
dinners  at  the  Castle,  a  notorious  Jacobite  was 
sitting  next  to  him  when  he  gave  the  King's 
health,  and,  speaking  to  his  neighbour,  said,  "  Not 
your  King,  but  my  King."  The  Jacobite,  not  the 
least  disconcerted,  turned  to  the  gentleman  next 
to  him,  saying,  "  Pass  the  Lord  Lieutenant's 
toast,  'The  King— not  your  King,  but  my  King.' ' 

Another  story :  Lord  Townshend  at  dinner  one 
day  observed  a  very  ugly  man,  a  Major  in  the 
Army,  sitting  at  the  bottom  of  the  table.  He  took 
a  card,  and  drew  a  caricatured  likeness  of  the 
Major.  This  was  handed  from  guest  to  guest 
until  it  reached  the  ofiicer,  who  very  quietly 
turned  the  card,  and,  drawing  a  likeness  of  the 
Lord  Lieutenant,  had  it  handed  up  to  him.  Lord 
Townshend  the  next  day  sent  for  the  gentleman, 
and,  finding  he  was  a  meritorious  officer,  pro- 
moted him. 

May  7. — Parliament  resumed  its  sittings.     This 

VOL.  iv  28 


218  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

was  the  period  of  the  crisis  which  was  to  deter- 
mine the  fate  of  the  Grey  Government  and  their 
Reform  Bill. 

FROM  DIARY. 

May  7. — The  streets  were  placarded : 

"Seventh  of  May, 
Crisis  Day"— 

alluding  to  the  debate  in  the  Lords  on  committal 
of  the  Reform  Bill. 

I  went  to  the  House  of  Lords,  and  heard  that 
Lord  Lyndhurst  had  proposed  to  take  the  enfran- 
chisement clauses  of  the  Bill  before  the  dis- 
franchisement  clauses ;  and  that  Lord  Grey  had 
declared  such  a  course  would  be  fatal  to  the  Bill ; 
that  Lords  Harrowby,  Wharncliffe,  and  others 
had  declared  in  favour  of  Lyndhurst ;  and  that 
Ministers  would  be  in  a  minority  of  20  or  25  at' 
the  least.  Nothing  was  more  unexpected  than 
this  news. 

A  great  many  friends  supposed  that  a  creation 
of  Peers  was  now  inevitable ;  indeed,  even  the 
other  side  held  the  same  language,  and  seemed 
afraid  of  their  certain  victory.  The  House 
divided,  and,  for  the  first  time,  I  saw  the  division : 
Lyndhurst  151 ;  Ministers  116. 

Lord  Grey  then  postponed  the  further  con- 
sideration of  the  Bill  until  Thursday.  Of  this 
Lord  Ellenborough  complained,  and  said  he  was 
willing  to  admit  the  disfranchisement  of  113 
seats,  and  that  he  preferred  household  suffrage 


CHAP.  XIII.     RESIGNATION    OF   THE    GOVERNMENT     219 

to  the  £10  qualification.  This  disclosure  of  the 
intention  of  the  Tories  to  come  in,  and  carry 
Whig  Reform,  drew  forth  a  hurst  of  eloquence 
from  Lord  Grey,  who  was  loudly  cheered  by  our 
friends,  and  then  the  House  adjourned.  I  told 
several  friends  that  Ministers  were  out.  No  one 
would  believe  me,  but  insisted  that  the  King 
would  create  Peers.  I  told  my  wife  with  great 
glee,  so  far  as  I  was  concerned,  that  the  Admi- 
nistration was  at  an  end,  for  it  had  been  beaten, 
and  would  resign. 

May  8.  Tuesday. — I  packed  up  my  papers  at 
the  War  Office  to  be  ready  for  a  start,  for  I  felt 
sure  all  was  over.  At  half-past  two  Lords  Grey 
and  Brougham  went  to  the  King  at  Windsor, 
with  a  proposal  to  create  a  sufficient  number  of 
Peers.  Graham  and  Stanley  and  all  seemed  in 
good  spirits,  and  said  that,  if  the  Tories  had  been 
paid  for  it,  they  could  not  have  acted  more  for 
the  country  and  the  character  of  the  Ministers. 
They  did  not  seem  to  be  sure,  or  indeed  to  care 
much,  about  the  result  of  the  proposal. 

Lord  Dover  told  me  that  Lord  Grey  had  hesi- 
tated about  proposing  to  make  Peers,  and  preferred 
offering  to  resign.  At  last  he  was  persuaded  to 
take  the  other  line. 

May  9.  Wednesday. — Whilst  I  was  getting  up 
I  received  a  note  from  Lord  Durham  marked 
"  Immediate."  It  contained  these  words  :  "  Half- 
past  nine.  The  King  has  refused  to  make  Peers, 
and  has  accepted  our  resignation." 


220  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

J832.  After  breakfast  I  went  to  Lord  Durham's,  and 
he  showed  me  the  note  just  arrived  from  Lord 
Grey.  "  Dear  Lambton,  the  King  has  accepted 
our  resignations.  Ever  yours,  G." 

We  went  to  the  Levee  together.  The  only 
person,  almost,  to  whom  the  King  said  nothing 
at  the  entree  Levee  was  the  Duke  of  Wellington.- 
The  Duke  of  Richmond  and  Lord  John  Russell, 
standing  by  me,  remarked  it ;  and  said  the  King 
was  wretched,  and  angry  with  the  Duke  of 
Wellington.  I  said,  "  Just  the  contrary ;  I  would 
bet  anything  the  Duke  was  Prime  Minister." 

I  talked  with  all  the  honest  resigners,  and 
shook  hands  with  Lord  Grey  most  warmly.  He 
said  to  me,  "  I  could  do  nothing  else ;  the  Bill 
was  taken  out  of  my  hands ;  I  was  no  longer 
Minister."  We  were  all  very  merry,  for  undone 
dogs,  as  we  were ;  and,  when  the  Levee  was  over, 
the  question  was,  what  was  the  formality  of 
resignation  ?  No  one  seemed  to  know ;  but,  at 
last,  we  were  told  that  the  King  would  see  only 
those  of  the  Cabinet  who  had  particular  business 
with  him.  Lords  Grey,  Lansdowne,  Goderich, 
Palmerston,  Duke  of  Richmond,  and  Lord  Althorp 
went  in  one  by  one ;  and  the  Lord  Chancellor 
came  so  late  that  some  thought  he  was  not 
coming  at  all.  I  was  told  that  the  King  was 
very  gracious,  and  wept,  taking  leave  of  Pal- 
merston and  Goderich,  if  not  of  others.  He 
pressed  Brougham  and  the  Duke  of  Richmond 
to  stay  in  office.  The  Duke  of  Richmond  told 


CHAP.  XIII.  POLITICIANS   AT   BROOKS's  221 

me  that  he  had  got  nothing  by  being  in  office, 
except  the  entree  for  his  two  carriages.  Lord 
John  Eussell  told  me  he  had  been  treated,  before 
the  Levee,  with  marked  disrespect  by  the  King, 
who  did  not  speak  to  him,  nor  ask  him  to  come 
in  after  the  Levee.  Nothing  was  known  at  Court 
about  the  new  arrangements ;  but  it  appeared 
that  Lord  Lyndhurst  was  sent  for  after  the 
Levee. 

The  House  of  Commons  was  very  full.  Ebrington 
gave  notice  of  a  call  of  the  House,  and  an  Address 
to  the  Crown,  for  the  next  day. 

We  adjourned,  and  I  went  to  the  Lords,  where 
Lord  Carnarvon  was  abusing  Lord  Grey  for 
deserting  the  King!!  Lord  Grey  made  a  very 
spirited  answer,  saying  he  would  not  consent  to 
be  the  shadow  of  a  Minister. 

There  was  a  great  meeting  at  Brooks's,  to  con- 
sider Ebrington's  Address.  I  had  spoken  to  him 
about  it,  begging  that  it  might  be  of  a  good 
decisive  character,  and  that  his  speech  would 
correspond  with  it.  I  told  him,  and  Althorp 
too,  that  I  did  not  approve  of  preaching  patience, 
nor  complimenting  the  King  upon  his  conduct. 
Althorp  replied  that  nothing  should  make  him 
implicate  the  King. 

I  find  the  meeting  at  Brooks's  was  considered 
satisfactory.  Ebrington,  at  first,  proposed  a 
milk-and-water  Address,  which  was  much  im- 
proved upon. 

May  10.     Thursday. — Ebrington  introduced  his 


222  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.  motion  with  a  good  strong  speech.  Baring  made 
a  clever,  unfair  speech,  and  moved  the  negative, 
calling  on  Lord  Althorp  to  tell  what  his  advice 
to  the  King  had  been.  Althorp  rose,  and,  in 
the  most  impressive  manner,  plainly  and  reso- 
lutely, said  that  Baring  knew  what  the  advice 
had  been ;  but,  if  he  wished  to  be  told,  it  was 
this  :  to  create  a  sufficient  number  of  Peers  to 
carry  the  Reform  Bill,  in  an  efficient  form, 
through  the  other  House  of  Parliament. 

Here  the  most  tremendous  cheers  burst  from 
all  quarters  of  the  House,  and  lasted  louder  and 
longer  than  I  ever  recollect  to  have  heard ; 
indeed,  the  spirit  of  the  Reformers  was  up 
during  the  whole  debate,  and  evidently  cowed 
the  other  side,  and  gave  the  lie  to  the  rumour 
of  our  apostacy. 

Peel  was  very  feeble,  and  felt  it,  as  did  the 
House ;  he  said  nothing  about  Reform.  O'Connell 
handled  him  roughly.  Macaulay  made  a  good 
speech ;  but,  as  Burdett  said,  too  like  Coach- 
makers'  Hall.  We  then  divided,  thinking  we 
had  a  majority  of  at  least  a  hundred  ;  but  we 
came  in  288,  the  numbers  inside  being  208.  The 
Opposition,  particularly  Lord  Chandos,  cheered  as 
if  they  had  gained  a  victory ;  and  Sir  Richard 
Vyvyan,  amidst  the  laughter  of  us  and  ours, 
talked  of  the  smallness  of  our  majority.  We 
went  away,  well  pleased,  about  twelve  o'clock. 

May  11.  Friday.— Rumours  that  Peel  and  the 
Duke  of  Wellington  are  in  negotiation  with 


CHAP.  XIII.  THE    NEW    GOVERNMENT  223 

Lord  Lyndhurst ;  the  greatest  possible  excitement  1332. 
prevailing  everywhere.  A  large  Westminster 
meeting  at  Crown  and  Anchor,  and  meetings  in 
the  City.  At  House  of  Commons  very  sharp 
debates  on  presenting  petitions,  and  everything 
announcing  some  crisis.  The  Duke  of  Wellington 
said  to  be  Minister. 

May  12.  Saturday. — For  a  short  time  at  W.O. 
[War  Office].  Sir  James  Graham  called  out 
under  the  window  that  everything  was  settled, 
and  that  the  Duke  of  Wellington  was  Minister ; 
Baring  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer;  Murray, 
Hardinge,  etc.,  in  office;  and  Parliament  to  be 
dissolved  on  Monday. 

I  went  to  Lord  Grey,  and  saw  him  for  a  short 
time.  He  spoke  to  me  about  his  resignation, 
and  seemed  very  much  affected  by  the  tributes 
of  esteem  and  respect  offered  to  him  from 
every  part  of  the  country.  He  told  me  that  a 
Birmingham  man  had  burst  into  tears  before 
him ;  he  said  that  Reform  of  Parliament  was, 
in  his  view,  like  Catholic  Emancipation,  the 
removal  of  a  stumbling-block,  and  not  a  cure 
for  all  evils.  He  had  done  his  best  to  pass 
the  measure,  and  when  he  failed,  went  out. 

May  13.  Sunday.  —  It  seems  the  Duke  of 
Wellington  is  the  chief,  or,  at  least,  the  framer 
of  the  Ministry  ;  and,  from  something  that 
A.  Baring  said  to  me  on  Friday,  I  think  he  is 
Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer.  In  the  meantime 
the  spirit  is  roused  all  over  the  country,  and 


224  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.  seems  likely  to  end  in  mischief.  I  saw  Tavistock 
to-day,  and  walked  a  good  deal  with  him ;  he 
is  completely  benighted,  I  think,  and  supposes 
everything  is  to  go  off  quietly.  Peel,  Croker,  and 
Goulburn,  all  have  declined  office  under  the 
Tory  Reformers;  for  it  now  turns  out  we  are 
to  have  the  Bill  and  the  Duke  of  Wellington  !  ! ! 
Almost  incredible;  but  true. 

I  went  to  a  meeting  at  Brooks's  where  Lord 
Ebrington  proposed  another  Address  to  the  Crown, 
against  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  but  he  eventually 
withdrew  his  proposal.  The  truth  was,  many  of 
our  people  were  afraid  of  a  dissolution,  and 
thought  an  Address  would  bring  it  on.  I  was 
afraid  that,  if  we  relaxed,  the  People  would  dis- 
trust us ;  and,  besides,  the  Tories  would  find 
means  to  fritter  away  our  opposition. 

I  had  a  letter  from  Sir  Herbert  Taylor  to-day, 
expressing  the  King's  regret  at  losing  my  services, 
and  his  satisfaction  with  my  civility,  etc.,  and 
appointing  me  to  call  on  him  the  next  day. 

May  14.  Monday. — At  half-past  two  I  went 
to  St.  James's,  and  had  my  audience  of  resigna- 
tion. The  King  was  extremely  civil ;  calling  me 
"My  good  friend,"  "  My  dear  sir,"  etc.  He  told 
me  he  knew  I  had  too  much  property  to  lose,  to 
wish  for,  or  assist,  any  attempts  at  convulsion. 
I  said,  "  Your  Majesty  has  not  a  more  loyal 
subject  than  myself."  He  replied,  "  I  know  it." 

He  then  talked  of  various  matters,  of  my  father, 
of  his  intimacy  with  Lord  Sidmouth,  of  the  way 


CHAP.  XIII.  INTERVIEW   WITH    THE    KING  225 

in  which  it  began.  He  said  Sidmouth  was  a  good 
speaker,  and  an  agreeable  man,  but  not  a  Minister 
of  great  capacity.  I  told  him  of  my  father  being 
present  when  Pitt  made  his  first  speech  at  the 
Bar.  We  then  talked  of  the  cholera,  which,  he 
said,  he  did  not  think  had  been  bad  in  London  ; 
then  asked  whether  I  had  a  house  in  Wiltshire, 
and  where  I  should  settle  in  the  summer;  then, 
about  the  James  Hays,  and  other  trifling  matters. 

In  conclusion,  he  said,  "  I  will  not  take  up 
more  of  your  time ;  I  have  now  seen  you  in  public 
and  in  private,  and  I  hope  I  may  be  permitted, 
occasionally,  to  keep  up  our  acquaintance."  I 
replied  that  he  was  very  condescending,  and 
bowed  backwards  out  of  the  room.  He  was  look- 
ing well,  and  in  good  spirits ;  and,  when  I  told 
him  so,  he  said,  "  Thank  God,  I  was  never  better 
in  my  life."  I  thought  he  seemed  pleased  to  be 
rid  of  his  Whig  tutors. 

At  House  of  Commons.  Call  of  the  House  not 
enforced.  Lord  Ebrington,  on  London  petition, 
commenced  a  fire  on  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  for 
accepting  office  to  carry  the  Reform  Bill.  He 
called  it  a  violation  of  public  morality.  Macaulay 
spoke  much  to  the  same  purpose ;  T.  Duncombe 
was  more  explicit,  and  spared  no  epithet  of  con- 
tempt. Peel  was  there,  but  said  nothing,  looking 
most  miserable.  Baring  tried  his  hand,  very 
badly  :  it  appeared  he  was  mouthpiece  to  Welling- 
ton. He  was  received  with  horse-laughter  when 
he  declared  that  the  Bill  must  pass,  and  that 

VOL.  iv  29 


226  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.  Wellington  was  justified  in  passing  it.  The 
debate  was  most  triumphant,  if  debate  it  can 
be  called. 

I  came  away  at  half-past  seven.  It  appears 
the  debate  went  on,  afterwards,  until  eleven ;  and 
that  the  Wellingtonians  were  so  chapfallen  that 
Burdett,  Hume,  and  O'Connell  recommended  a 
cessation  of  hostilities,  for  the  sake  of  a  reconcilia- 
tion between  the  King  and  the  Whigs. 

But  the  "  coup  de  grace  "  was  given  to  the 
phantom  Ministry  by  Inglis,  who  declared  against 
such  a  dereliction  of  public  honour ;  and  Wynne 
also  said,  if  the  Bill  was  to  be  carried,  it  ought 
to  be  carried  by  the  Whigs.  Even  Hunt  owned 
that  nothing  but  the  return  of  Lord  Grey  could 
tranquillise  the  country.  Baring  made  a  second 
speech  in  a  different  tone  from  his  first  speech; 
so  much  so,  it  was  thought  he  had  heard  from  the 
Duke  of  Wellington,  for  he  recommended  recon- 
ciliation between  the  King  and  the  Whigs.  I 
suppose  there  was  never  before  such  a  scene  in 
Parliament. 

May  15.  Tuesday. — I  called  on  Lord  Althorp, 
when  in  came  the  Duke  of  Richmond,  and  said  : 
"Well,  I  have  bad  news  for  you;  no  shooting  this 
year.  Pack  up  your  guns  again.  I  have  the 
intelligence  from  the  Palace,  and  know  it  to  be 
true.  The  Duke  of  Wellington  has  been  with  the 
King  this  morning,  and  given  up  his  commission 
altogether." 

At  a   quarter  past  four  I    went  to  the  House 


CHAP.  XIII.      GREATEST    REVOLUTION  IN  HISTORY       227 

of  Commons.  There  was  much  excitement  in  the 
streets  and  near  the  Houses  of  Parliament.  The 
Duke's  failure  was  generally  known,  but  nothing 
was  said  about  Lord  Grey. 

The  House  was  very  full  and  much  expectation 
alive.  Lord  Althorp,  Graham,  Stanley,  and 
Palmerston  entered,  and  took  their  old  seats. 
Baring  then  rose,  and  said  that  he  had  to  tell 
the  House  that  the  Duke  of  Wellington's  effort 
to  construct  a  new  Ministry  had  totally  failed, 
and  he  hoped  the  new  arrangements  would  be 
satisfactory. 

Lord  Althorp  stated  that  Lord  Grey  had  re- 
ceived a  message  from  the  King,  and  proposed 
adjourning  the  House  till  Thursday. 

The  greatest  joy  was  apparent  in  the  faces  of 
all  our  friends,  and  even  some  opponents  seemed 
rather  pleased  than  otherwise ;  but  we  spared  our 
baffled  enemies.  In  the  streets  there  was  one 
universal  look,  and  gesture,  and  language  of 
delight. 

I  went  to  Francis  Place  ;  he  was  overjoyed,  and 
said  it  was  the  greatest  and  most  surprising  Revo- 
lution in  History.  He  told  me  there  would  have 
been  a  convulsion  if  the  Duke  had  persevered. 
The  demand  for  gold  was  increasing.  Birming- 
ham was  preparing  for  resistance ;  and  here,  in 
London,  there  were  symptoms  of  fighting.  Now, 
he  thought,  all  would  be  well,  I  told  him  not 
to  be  so  sure  of  Lord  Grey's  return. 

May   16.      Wednesday.  —  I    joined    Alexander 


228  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.  Baring  in  Berkeley  Square,  where  we  walked  a 
long  time  together.  He  told  me  he  had  escaped 
a  great  honour.  He  was  to  be  Chancellor  of  the 
Exchequer,  but  not  Leader  of  the  House  of 
Commons.  Peel's  refusal  to  join  them  had  been 
their  first  great  obstacle.  He  thought  Peel 
shabby  for  this,  and  did  not  understand  his 
morality,  or  the  difference  between  supporting 
the  Tories  in  office,  to  carry  the  Reform  Bill,  and 
being  in  office  himself.  He  supposed  that  Peel, 
as  usual,  thought  chiefly  of  Peel. 

He  said  that  the  Duke  of  Wellington  had  told 
him  that  he  should  think  himself  unfit  to  crawl 
on  earth,  if  he  did  not  stand  by  the  King,  even 
at  the  expense  of  his  own  consistency ;  and  that 
he  had  resolved  to  carry  the  Reform  Bill,  as  an 
inevitable  measure,  in  all  its  great  provisions ; 
indeed,  a  Bill  probably  more  extensive  than  that 
which  Lord  Grey  would  now  grant. 

Baring  said  that  the  King  had  resolved  to  pass 
the  Reform  Bill,  and  made  that  the  condition  of 
giving  office  to  the  Duke ;  what  he  objected  to 
was  the  making  of  Peers.  The  Duke  was  not 
to  have  been  Prime  Minister. 

Baring  said  that,  if  the  mere  love  of  office 
had  been  their  object,  it  would  have  been  better 
to  have  waited  until  the  R/eform  Bill  had  passed, 
when  the  Whigs  would  probably  have  fallen,  and 
the  Tories  or  some  others  succeeded. 

We  then  talked  about  what  was  to  be  done 
now.  Baring  said  that  it  was  all  our  own  game 


CHAP.  XIII.  BARING   AND    WELLINGTON  229 

now.  We  should  let  the  King  down  easily.  We 
should  modify  the  Bill  a  little ;  we  should  keep 
the  peace.  I  said  the  first  would  he  done;  the 
second  was  rendered  difficult,  if  not  impossible, 
by  the  events  of  last  week ;  for  the  Political 
Unions  were  now  raised  to  an  importance  which 
rendered  their  immediate  suppression  almost  im- 
possible. Baring  seemed  to  agree  with  me.  I 
collected  from  his  whole  conversation  that  he  con- 
sidered the  affair  settled,  and  Lord  Grey  in  office. 

He  told  me  that  his  second  speech  on  Monday 
was  not  in  consequence  of  any  hint  from  the 
Duke;  it  was  his  own  conviction  that  it  was 
best  to  open  a  loophole  of  retreat  for  the  Duke. 
When  he  sat  down,  Hardinge  and  Murray  told 
him  he  was  right;  and  the  Duke  told  him  the 
same,  on  the  same  evening,  and  resolved  to  give 
way.  It  was  proposed  to  try  a  middle  course, 
and  a  third  party ;  but  the  Duke  said,  "  No ; 
if  I  do  not  succeed,  the  King  had  better  send 
for  Lord  Grey  at  once.  He  will  have  to  do  it  at 
last;  and  it  is  not  right  to  keep  the  country  in 
agitation  during  the  interval."  The  King  adopted 
this  counsel.  I  took  leave  of  Baring,  saying, 
"  You  are  a  bold  man."  He  replied,  "  You 
mean  an  impudent  one." 

I  dined  at  Sir  P.  Burdett's.  Lord  Duncannon 
told  me,  after  dinner,  that  the  Cabinet  had 
agreed  not  to  retain  office  without  the  certainty 
of  carrying  the  Bill,  but  they  would  not  press 
too  hard  upon  the  King.  This  seemed  to  satisfy 


230  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.    even  Lord   Durham,  and   Lord   Duncannon   said 
all  would  be  well. 

We  had  then  some  talk  about  Ireland,  and 
Lord  D.  said  I  should  be  Secretary,  with  some 
new  arrangement ;  but,  in  these  times,  'tis  absurd 
to  think  of  individuals,  or  anything  but  the 
great  national  question. 

May  17.  Thursday. — I  find  disturbances  in 
Westminster,  and  the  panic  returning.  I  went 
to  the  House  of  Commons,  and  there  Ellice  told 
me  that  the  King  had  written  to  Lord  Grey, 
stating  that  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  Lord 
Lyndhurst,  the  Dukes  of  Cumberland  and  Glou- 
cester, and  others,  would  make  conciliatory 
speeches,  which  would  enable  the  Reform  Bill 
to  pass  without  Peers  being  made. 

I  heard  the  Duke  of  Wellington  state  his  case 
at  the  Lords  ;  but  so  far  was  he  from  conciliation, 
or  anything  like  withdrawing  his  opposition  to 
the  Bill,  that  every  sentence  was  an  attack  either 
on  Reform  or  Lord  Grey.  He  did  not  say  a 
word  about  his  intended  support  of  the  measure, 
had  he  been  Minister;  but  he  did  make  use  of 
the  expression  attributed  to  him  by  Baring, 
about  his  not  deserting  the  King.  Lord  Lynd- 
hurst followed  him  in  a  still  more  bitter  speech, 
and  did  not  show  the  slightest  symptom  of 
concession.  I  was  near  Ellice :  we  both  stared, 
and  he  said  that  these  men  had  deceived  the 
King,  for  he  had  positively  seen  the  King's 
letter;  and  Lord  Althorp  had  announced,  in  the 


CHAP.  XIII.  WOULD   THE   LORDS   YIELD  ?  231 

Commons,  that   there  was  "  every  probability  of     1832. 
the  affair  coming  to  a  satisfactory  result." 

Lord  Grey  answered  in  a  firm  and  manly 
speech,  defending  the  creation  of  Peers,  and 
stating  that  he  was  resolved  not  to  retain  office 
unless  he  could  carry  the  Bill  unmutilated.  He 
spoke  too  handsomely  of  the  King,  and  he  refuted 
the  Duke  of  Wellington's  charge  of  leaving  the 
King  alone.  Lord  Mansfield  spoke,  and  in- 
dignantly disclaimed  the  virtue,  imputed  to  him 
by  the  Times,  of  rejecting  the  Duke's  offer  of 
office.  I  was  satisfied  that  all  was  over,  and  I 
went  to  the  Commons.  I  sat  down  next  to 
Althorp,  and  told  him  what  had  passed.  He 
said  :  "  Well,  so  much  the  better  ;  but  it  is  rather 
a  bore  for  me  to  have  spoken  with  so  much 
confidence,  though  I  was  quite  justified  in  so 
doing.  Now  I  shall  have  my  shooting."  "You 
may,"  I  said  ;  "  so  shall  we.  The  pitchforks  will 
be  here."  "  Not  here,"  he  replied;  "the  other 
House."  I  said,  "  I  don't  care  for  that." 

I  found  the  Members  of  the  House  of  Commons 
quite  satisfied  with  the  proceedings  in  their 
House,  and  could  not  persuade  them  that  the 
Lords  would  not  yield.  They  had  written  good 
news  to  all  parts  of  the  country. 

May  18. — I  see  by  the  Times  that  the  debate 
in  the  Lords  ended  as  it  began — no  conciliation, 
and  the  order  for  the  Reform  Bill  discharged. 
I  went  to  the  Treasury.  Lord  Duncannon  showed 
me  an  Address  for  the  House  of  Commons  to  the 


232  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.  King,  to  make  Peers.  Lord  Ebrington  showed 
me  one  he  had  drawn  up,  for  the  same  ohject, 
to  be  moved  to-night,  in  case  the  Ministers  re- 
tired finally  from  office. 

Ellice  told  me  that  the  King  had  written  to 
Lord  Grey  this  morning,  stating  his  surprise  at 
the  conduct  of  the  Opposition  Lords  last  night. 
The  Ministers  are  now  in  Cabinet,  and,  one  way  or 
the  other,  the  business  will  be  settled  this  evening. 

I  came  down  to  the  House  of  Commons  at  half- 
past  four ;  found  the  call  going  on  and  every  pre- 
paration for  the  Address.  Nothing  known,  except 
that  the  Cabinet  had  agreed  upon  a  minute,  and 
that  Lords  Grey  and  Brougham  had  carried  that 
minute  to  the  King,  and  were  with  him  at  that 
moment.  Althorp,  Palmerston,  Stanley,  Graham, 
and  Grant  entered  the  House;  but  they  knew 
nothing  more.  The  call  went  on.  Lord  Milton 
came  to  Ebrington  and  me,  pressing  some  change 
in  the  Address.  We  advised  none,  but,  at  last, 
Ebrington  consented  to  go  out  with  him  to  look 
at  the  alteration.  The  call  was  nearly  over, 
when  Tom  Duncombe  came  to  the  end  of  the 
Treasury  bench,  where  I  was,  and  said,  "  All 
was  done  and  settled."  There  was  a  great 
bustle — many  complaints  of  the  Ministers  keeping 
the  secret  too  long.  Stanley  was  called  out  of 
the  House,  but  presently  returned  and  said  to 
me,  "All  right!"  When  the  call  was  over 
Lord  Althorp  rose,  and,  in  one  sentence,  told  the 
House  "THAT  MINISTERS,  HAVING  WHAT  THEY 


CHAP.  XIII.  GUARANTEES   SECURED  233 

CONCEIVED    A   SUFFICIENT    GUARANTEE     FOR    BEING      1832. 
ABLE     TO     PASS     THE     REFORM     BILL     UNIMPAIRED, 
RETAINED   THEIR   OFFICES." 

There  was  great  shouting,  and  some  waving  of 
hats,  particularly  by  O'Connell,  who,  by  the  way, 
has  behaved  very  well  in  this  great  emergency. 

Peel  made  a  long  apology  for  refusing  office— 
every  word  of  said  excuse  being  an  attack  on 
the  Duke  of  Wellington,  whom,  at  the  same 
time,  he  praised.  He  also  lauded  the  talents 
and  character  of  Lord  Lyndhurst,  whose  name 
was  received  by  a  horse  laugh. 

Our  friends  cheered  Peel,  and  when  he  sat 
down,  Althorp  rose,  and  said  he  was  satisfied 
with  the  Eight  Hon.  Baronet,  of  whom  he 
thought  as  highly  as  ever.  This  very  humili- 
ating testimony  to  character,  though  given  with 
good  faith,  made  poor  Peel  look  very  foolish 
and  sulky;  he  did  not  acknowledge  Althorp 's 
civility,  but  blushed,  and  fidgeted,  and  was  silent. 

Alexander  Baring  then  rose,  and  defended  the 
Duke  of  Wellington.  This  defence,  of  course, 
was  an  implied  censure  of  Peel.  Never  was 
such  an  exposure  of  a  party ;  enough  to  satisfy 
the  utmost  malice,  and  forbid  revenge.  I  went 
away.  It  seems  that  Vyvyan  and  George  Bankes 
added  to  the  discomfiture  of  the  enemy  by  two 
silly  speeches. 

Such,  for  the  present,  is  the  conclusion  of  this 
memorable  interregnum,  which  has  done  more, 
in  nine  or  ten  days,  to  discover  the  real  char- 

VOL.  iv  30 

r 


234  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.  acter  of  the  King,  and  the  People,  and  the 
parties  in  the  state,  than  could  otherwise  have 
been  found  out  in  as  many  years. 

Lord  Grey  made  much  the  same  declaration 
in  the  Lords  as  Althorp  in  the  Commons,  and 
the  Duke  of  Portland,  and  Lord  Carnarvon,  and 
other  rabid  Welling tonians,  gave  further  speci- 
mens of  their  spite. 

In  the  evening  I  went  to  the  Queen's  Ball 
at  St.  James's.  Our  Ministers  were  there,  and 
everybody  else.  Lord  Lowther  told  me  that  the 
great  blunder  had  been  not  coming  out  with 
the  whole  Ministerial  arrangements  on  Monday 
last.  They  had  been  completed  on  Saturday, 
and,  if  they  had  been  announced,  many  of  our 
waverers  would  have  gone  over.  I  said  I  doubted 
if  anything  would  have  overcome  the  repugnance 
of  the  people  to  the  Duke  of  Wellington.  The 
truth  is,  the  Tories  cannot  be  persuaded  of  the 
spirit  or  real  character  of  the  people. 

May  19.  Saturday. — I  went  to  Place.  He 
told  me  that  there  would,  positively,  have  been 
a  rising  if  Wellington  had  recovered  power 
yesterday.  Everything  was  arranged  for  it ;  he 
himself  would  not  have  slept  at  home. 

Stephenson  told  me  that  on  account  of  a 
petition  from  Bristol,  which  the  Duke  of  Sussex 
twice  presented  to  the  King,  on  Sunday  and 
Monday  last,  H.M.  wrote  on  Tuesday  morning, 
at  nine  o'clock,  a  letter  to  H.R.H.  forbidding  him 
the  Court ! ! !  Now  who  did  this  ?  Wellington 


CHAP.  XIII.         REFORM   BILL   GOING   THROUGH  235 

was  still  thought  to  be  Minister  up  to  eleven  1832. 
on  that  day.  Stephenson  showed  the  letter  to 
Lord  Grey ;  something  must  be  done  about  it. 
There  are  fears  that  the  Duke  of  Sussex  means 
to  play  the  part  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans  ;  and 
yesterday  an  address  came  from  the  City,  asking 
the  Duke  of  Sussex  to  take  charge  of  the  City 
in  case  of  disturbance.  This  address  was  shown 
to  the  King  when  they  took  the  Cabinet  minute 
to  him.  Who  shall  say  what  effect  it  had  in 
securing  an  affirmative  answer  ? 

From  all  I  hear  it  seems  to  me  quite  clear 
that  H.M.  must  be  considered  as  an  irreconcil- 
able enemy  of  the  Ministers ;  and  that,  if  there 
is  the  slightest  chance  of  his  escaping  from 
them,  he  will.  The  Tories  hope  that  we  shall 
be  embarrassed  by  the  Irish  Bill ;  and  even 
now  look  to  a  Wellington  or  Peel  administra- 
tion. Force,  force,  force — that  is,  Peers,  Peers, 
Peers — nothing  else  will  save  us  and  the 
country. 

May  21.  Monday. — The  Lords  went  into  com- 
mittee on  the  Reform  Bill.  The  Wellingtonians 
for  the  most  part  did  not  attend.  Lord  Grey 
got  on  with  Schedule  D  as  far  as  Wolverhampton. 
Thus  the  Tories,  after  describing  the  Bill  as 
utterly  destructive  of  Church  and  State  and 
King  and  property,  have  given  up  their  oppo- 
sition to  it  rather  than  allow  a  creation  of  Peers, 
which  could  not,  by  any  possibility,'  produce 
more  mischief  than  the  Bill,  and  which  would 


236  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.  have  saved  their  honour  by  making  them  yield 
only  to  force  (i.e.  numbers). 

May  22. — Charles  Pox  told  me,  when  walking 
down  to  the  H.  of  C.  to-day,  that  a  good  deal 
of  the  late  mischief  had  been  caused  by  Lord 
Munster,1  whom  he  called  a  lover  of  money, 
not  a  politician.  He  had  not  spoken  to  the 
King  for  eight  months,  but  was  recommended 
by  G.  Seymour,  and  helped  to  bring  about 
the  Duke  of  Wellington's  foolish  effort.  "The 
other  PitzClarences  are  with  us,"  said  Fox. 
"  Munster  and  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  are 
now  forbidden  to  talk  politics  at  Court.  The 
King  has  no  liking  nor  disliking  for  Ministers 
—a  good  old  man,  but  forgets  what  he  says. 
He  certainly  had  acceded  to  the  making  Peers, 
and  the  Duke  of  Wellington  confessed  it  when 
he  was  shown  the  correspondence  between  the 
King  and  Lord  Grey/' 

Pox  said  to  the  King,  "  By  recalling  Lord 
Grey,  you  have  saved  the  country  from  civil 
war."  "  Yes,"  said  the  King,  "  for  the  present." 
Pox  said  that  the  Duke  of  Sussex  had  been 
imprudent  in  presenting  the  Bristol  petition  to 
the  King.  I  think  so  too. 

At  H.  of  C.,  a  long  discussion  on  Pree  Trade. 
The  Reform  Bill  in  committee  in  the  Lords. 

May   23.      Wednesday. — Went    to    the    Levee. 

1  George  Augustus  Frederick  FitzClarence,  son  of  William  IV.  and 
Mrs.  Jordan ;  served  in  the  Peninsula  and  in  India ;  created  Earl 
of  Munster  1831. 


CHAP.  XIII.  DANCING,    POLITICS,    DEATH  237 

The   returned   Ministers   there.      The    King    did     1832. 
not  seem  very  well  pleased  with  his  Court,  and 
did  not  smile  upon  our  leaders. 

Lord  Durham  and  I  had  a  long  talk ;  he  spoke 
of  affairs  being  in  a  very  precarious  state,  and 
said  that  nothing  but  fear  would  keep  the 
governor  in  order. 

May  24.  Thursday. — I  had  to  go  to  a  Children's 
Ball  at  St.  James's.  I  did  not  think  it  so  pretty 
a  sight  as  I  expected ;  there  was  a  great  crowd. 
Lord  Byron  re-introduced  himself  to  me,  after  an 
estrangement  of  some  years ;  he  has  some  place 
about  the  Court.  We  had  some  friendly  talk,  but 
not  a  word  about  my  friend  and  his  cousin. 

May  25.  Friday. — At  House  of  Commons, 
where  I  sat  out  debate  on  Reform.  Divided 
246  to  130.  The  spirit  of  the  Conservatives  is 
dead  and  gone. 

In  the  Lords  the  Reform  Bill  went  on  swim- 
mingly; nearly  all  over,  except  Schedules  A 
and  B. 

This  week  Sir  James  Mackintosh  died,  at  the 
age  of  66.  Sir  Robert  Inglis,  who  lived  near 
him  at  Clapham,  told  me  his  last  articulate  words 
were,  "  I  am  happy."  Pretty  much  the  same 
were  put  into  the  mouth  of  Charles  Pox  on  his 
death-bed. 

May  30. — I  went  to  the  House  of  Commons, 
and  looked  in  at  the  Lords,  where  the  remaining 
clauses  of  the  Bill  were  passed  with  very  little 
opposition,  and  without  any  discussion. 


238  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.  Edward  Ellice  told  me  that  on  Monday  last 
the  King  wrote  an  angry  letter  to  Lord  Grey, 
complaining  of  the  Irish  Reform  Bill  being 
hurried  on,  and  of  the  English  Bill  passing  the 
Lords  without  amendments.  To  this  letter  Lord 
Grey,  with  the  unanimous  consent  of  the  Cabinet, 
wrote  a  very  decided  answer.  The  poor  King 
then  wrote  to  say  that  his  first  letter  had 
originated  in  mistake. 

There  is  no  doubt,  nor  concealment  now,  as 
to  the  real  inclination,  and,  indeed,  intentions 
of  H.M.  to  turn  out  the  Government  if  he  can. 
He  is  angry  at  being  hissed.  He  persists  in 
forbidding  the  Duke  of  Sussex  from  Court. 

May  31.— I  went  to  the  House  of  Commons, 
and  sat  up  till  near  two  in  the  morning.  H.M. 
will  not,  they  say,  go  to  the  House  to  give 
the  Royal  Assent  to  the  Reform  Bill.  Add  to 
these  symptoms  I  hear,  from  good  authority, 
Lord  Grey  himself  remarked  a  change  in  the 
King's  manner,  even  to  him,  before  the  resigna- 
tion ;  and  that  manner  has  not  altered  since  the 
return  of  Lord  Grey  to  power.  Sir  James  Graham 
confirmed  this,  and  like  the  rest  is  prepared 
for  quitting  office.  However,  the  Reform  Bill 
made  steady  progress  in  the  Lords. 

The  Tories  are  now  preaching  up  Household 
Suffrage  and  equal  division  of  districts,  and  are 
prepared  for  any  extremity.  They  say  the 
Monarchy  is  at  an  end. 

June  1. — The  report  of  the  Reform  Bill  passed 


CHAP.  XIII.    THE  KING  AND  THE  DUKE  OF  SUSSEX      239 

the   Lords   this   night   after  some  furious  follies     1832 
from  Lord  Carnarvon.     It  is  now   certain    there 
will   be   no   attempt   to   throw   out   the   Bill    on 
the  third  reading. 

June  2. — Lord  Durham  called  on  me  at  the 
War  Office,  and  held  language  much  calculated 
to  alarm  any  one  that  gave  him  credit  for  fore- 
sight. He  looked  upon  the  King  as  little  short 
of  mad,  and  thought  there  would  be  some  fierce 
struggle  yet,  unless  the  King  died  shortly ;  for 
he  would  try  a  new  Government,  and  a  return 
to  the  old  system.  He  thought  that  some  great 
change  was  inevitable,  and  that  we  ought  to  be 
prepared  for  it.  He  complained  of  some  of  his 
colleagues  in  the  Cabinet,  particularly  of  Palmer- 
ston,  and  from  what  I  hear  from  Sullivan, 
Palmer ston  complains  of  him.  This  gives  rise 
to  rumours  of  dissensions  in  the  Cabinet. 

Lord  Durham  told  me  that  the  real  reason 
of  the  King's  quarrel  with  the  Duke  of  Sussex 
was  the  Duke's  refusal  to  dine  with  H.M.  on 
the  Wednesday,  the  day  when  the  Grey  Cabinet 
resigned.  The  Duke  of  Sussex  and  the  Duchess 
of  Kent  were  the  only  members  of  the  Royal 
Family  who  did  not  dine  with  H.M.  on  that 
occasion.  This  made  the  King  very  angry ;  yet 
at  his  birthday  dinner,  Monday,  28th  of  May, 
he  called  the  Queen  back  to  hear  him  give  a 
toast :  "  The  Princess  Victoria ;  and  remember 
that  I  declare  her  to  be  the  lawful  successor 
to  the  Throne."  This  is  one  of  the  many  extrava- 


240  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.  gances  attributed  to  him.  Pray  Heaven  that  he 
may  continue  sound  until  Thursday,  June  7. 

We  had  a  large  dinner  party  and  opened  our 
handsome  drawing-rooms.  How  long  for !  Lord 
Dundonald  dined  with  us,  the  Berrys,  Lady  Davy, 
the  Maitlands,  T.  Creevey,  Ealfours,  Fergusons, 
etc. ;  so  we  go  on,  even  on  the  hrink,  so  they  say, 
of  ruin  and  revolution. 

June  4. — Debate  on  third  reading  of  Reform  Bill 
in  the  Lords.  A  little  past  ten  a  rumour  reached 
us  .that  the  Lords  were  dividing.  I  ran  away 
and  got  before  the  throne  to  the  rail.  Their 
Lordships  were  telling,  and  there  was  much 
confusion.  Only  two  Bishops,  Grey  and  Maltby, 
with  us,  two  against  us.  Lord  Brougham  then 
read  the  numbers :  106  to  22,  and  after  going 
shortly  over  the  amendments,  said,  "  that  this 
Sill  do  pass"  and  pass  it  did. 

I  returned  to  the  Commons,  where  the  Scottish 
Reform  Bill  was  going  on.  Presently  Martin 
and  Adam,  Masters  in  Chancery,  came  into  the 
House  with  the  Bill  in  their  hands.  There  was 
a  general  murmur,  and  Alderman  Wood  made  a 
foolish  attempt  to  suspend  our  proceedings  for 
the  sake  of  having  it  brought  up,  but  Althorp 
resisted,  and  we  went  on  till  half-past  eleven, 
when  Bernal  left  the  chair,  and  the  Masters 
brought  up  the  Bill  with  several  others.  The 
Speaker  took  a  malicious  pleasure  in  confounding 
the  Reform  with  some  Church  and  Road  Bills, 
and  there  was  no  cheering  or  other  sign  of  exulta- 


CHAP.  XIII.  REVOLUTION   IN   PARIS  241 

tion.    Althorp  moved  that  the  amendments  should     1832. 
be  considered  the  next  day,  and  we  hroke  up. 

June  5. — Lord  John  Russell  moved  the  second 
reading  of  the  Lords'  amendments  of  the  Bill ; 
and  after  a  debate  very  much  in  our  favour,  they 
were  agreed  to  without  a  division. 

June  6. — At  the  King's  Levee.  Saw  Palmerston 
invested  with  the  Order  of  the  Bath,  which  our 
gracious  King  forced  upon  him  at  his  last  visit 
to  Windsor  with  Bulow.  The  Duke  of  Wellington, 
Lord  Rosslyn,  and  the  rest  were  in  the  ceremony, 
and  did  not  look  very  merry,  I  thought.  I  saw 
the  knighting,  a  silly  barbarous  farce. 

The  King  does  not  give  the  Royal  Assent  in 
person  to  the  Great  Bill ;  a  very  foolish  spite,  which 
takes  away  the  grace  from  what  he  wishes  to  be 
thought  or  did  wish  to  be  thought  his  own  gift. 

June  7. — Sad  news  from  Paris.  Another  revo- 
lution. A  regular  battle  between  the  people  and 
the  soldiery;  the  troops  said  to  be  worsted,  and 
few  National  Guards  fighting  with  them.  The 
news  completely  upset  me.  A  few  hours  more 
will  announce  who  reigns  in  France.  What 
advantage  will  our  fools  at  home  take  of  this 
dreadful  event,  and  what  a  mercy  for  us  that 
it  did  not  happen  during  the  interregnum  !  But 
the  crisis  is  coming,  and  we  must  soon  be  at 
our  posts.  I  hope  I  shall  act  as  I  ought.  In 
the  meantime  our  gay  and  gambling  world  are 
all  gone  to  the  Derby !  ! 

I  went  down  to  the  House  early  to  hear  the 

VOL.  iv  31 


242  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832,  Royal  Assent  given  to  the  Reform  Bill,  but  was 
too  late.  It  was  just  over.  A  little  before  four 
o'clock,  the  Speaker,  attended  by  Lord  John 
Russell  and  some  thirty  or  forty  Members,  went 
to  the  Lords.  The  Commissioners  were  Lords 
Grey,  Lansdowne,  Holland,  Wellesley,  Durham, 
and  the  Lord  Chancellor.  Only  our  great  Bill 
received  the  Royal  Assent.  The  whole  proceeding 
lasted  but  a  short  time,  and  was  slurred  over  as 
quickly  as  possible.  Not  a  single  Peer  was  to 
be  seen  on  the  Opposition  benches,  and  not  more 
than  nine  or  ten  on  the  Ministerial  side. 

A  very  poor  picture  was  painted,  misrepresent- 
ing this  scene,  as  I  can  assert;  for  I  am  placed 
there  next  to  Sir  Francis  Burdett,  whereas  I  was 
not  in  the  House. 

There  were  a  few  people  collected  about  the 
doors  of  Parliament;  but  there  was  very  little 
excitement.  The  Ministers  were,  however,  cheered 
as  they  left  the  House. 

Thus  ends  this  great  national  exploit.  The 
deed  is  done.  It  is  difficult  to  believe  that  it 
is  done.  I  was  obliged  to  leave  the  House  of 
Commons,  being  ill ;  but  I  see  that,  when  the 
Boundaries  Bill  was  discussed,  Croker  took  occa- 
sion, as  might  be  expected,  to  allude  to  Paris 
running  in  blood,  just  as  our  Reform  Bill  was 
receiving  the  Royal  sanction. 

FROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

June  9.  —  I  was   attacked  by  a  violent  head- 


CHAP.  XIII.   UNPOPULARITY  OF  THEIR  MAJESTIES      243 

ache,  and,  unluckily,  had  to  entertain  three  of  1832. 
my  masters  at  dinner — Graham,  Goderich,  and 
Palmer ston.  Lord  Dacre  and  Sir  Erancis  Burdett 
were  of  the  party ;  and  talked  of  Reform,  which 
was  not  relished  by  two  out  of  three  of  my 
Cabinet  guests. 

June  14, — I  went  to  the  drawing-room,  where 
I  was  most  ungraciously  received  by  Queen 
Adelaide  ;  but  that  did  not  prevent  me  from 
going  to  the  Queen's  Ball  at  St.  James's  the 
next  evening  —  a  very  poor  pageant ;  their 
Majesties  sitting  on  a  dais  in  a  row,  like 
monarchs  in  a  playhouse.  I  thanked  Heaven 
that  this  was  the  last  of  the  season. 

June  20. — The  King  was  struck  on  the  head 
with  a  stone,  on  Ascot  race-ground,  by  a  one- 
legged  ex-pensioner  of  Greenwich.  Both  Houses 
voted  addresses  to  him,  and  Sir  Robert  Peel  could 
not  resist  the  temptation  to  connect  the  outrage 
with  some  intemperate  language  of  the  press  and 
speeches  in  Parliament. 

FROM  DIARY. 

June  26. — There  was  a  Review  in  Hyde  Park, 
which  was  attended  by  the  King  and  Queen. 
The  Duke  of  Wellington  was  at  the  head  of 
his  regiment.  He  was  cheered  by  the  "  mob  of 
gentlemen,"  but  coldly  received  by  the  crowd. 
The  Queen  much  hissed. 

I  afterwards  went  in  full  dress  to  a  party  at  the 
Duke  of  Wellington's  to  meet  their  Majesties.  A 


244  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.  hundred  or  so  of  the  Guards  were  drawn  up  in  the 
courtyard,  and  the  whole  scene  had  a  very  military 
appearance;  it  was  said  that  a  thousand  guests 
were  present.  The  King  made  a  long  speech  to 
the  Guards  when  he  gave  them  their  new  colours, 
and  said  Caesar  was  the  first  Grenadier. 

This  is  my  first,  and  prohably  will  he  my  last, 
appearance  at  the  Duke's.  His  pistol-proof  blinds 
are  no  proof  of  his  wisdom,  nor  his  broken,  un- 
mended  windows. 

June  27. — I  went  to  the  annual  Westminster 
dinner.  Sir  Erancis  Burdett  announced  this  to 
be  the  last :  E/eform  having  been  gained,  our 
occupation  was  over. 

Daniel  O'Connell  was  the  hero  of  the  evening ; 
and  he  made  a  speech  about  "the  echoes  of  liberty 
resounding  from  the  peaks  of  the  Andes  to  the 
banks  of  Burrampooter." 

June  28. — Going  to  the  War  Office,  I  met  the 
Duke  of  Wellington  at  the  head  of  a  detachment 
of  his  regiment,  marching  from  a  Review  in  the 
Palace  Garden.  All  these  shows  are  got  up  evi- 
dently to  remind  King  and  people  of  the  advantage 
of  a  standing  army,  and  of  the  hero  of  Waterloo. 

At  twelve  I  went  to  the  Military  Asylum  at 
Chelsea,  and  there  was  the  Duke  of  Wellington 
again,  and  a  host  of  officers  in  attendance  to 
show  the  children  to  their  Majesties.  Many  of 
the  soldiers  expressed  their  pleasure  at  seeing 
me  there,  saying  they  hoped  I  would  not  permit 
the  establishment  to  be  put  down. 


CHAP.  XIII.  AT   CHELSEA   HOSPITAL  245 

After  seeing  the  children  dine,  we  went  over 
to  Chelsea  Hospital.  The  Duke  of  Wellington 
was  hissed  by  the  way,  and  their  Majesties  were 
not  over  and  above  well  received.  Lord  John 
Russell,  President  of  the  Commissioners,  Lord 
Goderich  and  Lord  Melbourne,  also  Commis- 
sioners, were  present;  these  civilians  with  my- 
self were  the  only  persons  not  in  gorgeous 
apparel,  and  we  looked  very  small  on  that 
account.  Indeed,  the  whole  ceremonies  of  this 
hot,  tiresome  day  seemed  contrived  to  con- 
trast military  pomp  with  civil  insignificance ; 
and  also  to  prevent  any  of  us  Reformers 
from  innovating  upon  these  favourite  establish- 
ments. 

Erom  the  Hospital  we  went  to  Sir  Willoughby 
Gordon's  neighbouring  villa,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Thames ;  and  there  walked  about  at  what  is  called 
a  breakfast :  the  dullest  of  all  our  dull  English 
amusements.  Obliged  to  keep  our  hats  off  in  a 
hot  sun  whenever  we  came  across  King,  Queen, 
or  Princess. 

Sir  W.  Gordon  told  me  that  he  had  not  asked 
any  of  the  Royal  Family  until  the  day  before, 
when  he  was  ordered  by  the  King  to  invite  all, 
except  the  Duke  of  Sussex. 

June  29. — At  House  of  Commons.  Tithes,  Irish 
Reform  or  Scotch  Reform,  I  forget  which,  but  all 
now  comes,  of  course.  Even  Reform  ceases  to  be 
a  subject  of  anxiety  :  the  Lords  having  given  way, 
the  interest  is  gone. 


246  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.    FROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

July  3. — Joseph  Hume  brought  on  a  motion 
relative  to  Somerville,  a  private  of  the  Scots 
Greys,  who  was  flogged  for  refusing  to  mount 
an  unruly  horse.  The  partisans  of  Somerville 
alleged  that  his  real  offence  was  that  he  corre- 
sponded with  a  newspaper  called  the  Weekly 
Dispatch  and  discussed  the  political  duties  of 
soldiers. 

Hume  said  he  had  taken  up  the  case  to  prevent 
O'Connell  taking  it  up  in  a  more  hostile  spirit. 
He  agreed  the  less  said  about  it  the  better,  and 
he  added  that  if  I  got  the  man  his  discharge, 
he  would  say  as  little  as  possible  on  the  subject. 
I  did  procure  a  conditional  discharge,  and  was 
never  more  surprised  than  when  Hume  got  up 
and  made  a  bitter  speech  against  me.  I  was  in 
no  little  embarrassment,  for  as  I  told  the  Ministers 
I  could  not  and  would  not  defend  the  punishment. 
I  was  pledged  against  flogging  ;  the  Cabinet  were 
not ;  therefore  the  best  thing  was  for  me  to  resign. 
Althorp  insisted  that  I  was  not  to  be  sacrificed, 
and  proposed  that  an  inquiry  should  be  made 
which  should  be  laid  before  the  King.  If  he 
said  "  No,"  the  Government  should  resign ;  but 
eventually  Hume  withdrew  his  motion. 

PROM  DIARY. 

July  5. — Lord  Althorp  says  the  King  instantly 
consented  to  the  inquiry  on  the  Somerville  case. 
I  then  went  to  Lord  Hill,  and  had  a  smart  dis- 


CHAP.  XIII.  OFFICIAL   FRICTION  247 

cussion  with  him.  I  foresee  that  the  two  sides  1832. 
of  the  arclnvay  at  the  Horse  Guards  will  be  in 
acknowledged  hostility,  and  either  my  Lord  or 
I  must  go  out,  that  is  clear.  Indeed,  I  think 
it  is  useless  to  disguise  the  fact  even  from  my 
opponents.  Lord  Hill  must  be  a  poor  creature  to 
maintain  himself  in  a  lucrative  post  in  opposition 
to  the  known  wishes  of  a  Cabinet  whom  he  does 
not  support,  and  nothing  but  the  hope  of  seeing 
the  office  in  proper  hands  could  induce  me  to 
remain  a  moment  where  I  am.  But  it  would  be 
unwise  to  attempt  anything  at  this  moment. 

July  8. — The  Examiner  calls  Lord  Althorp  and 
me  "  infamous,"  for  our  conduct  on  Somerville's 
case.  Such  are  these  gentlemen  of  the  Press ! 
My  brother  called  on  A.  Eonblanque,  the  editor, 
who  said  he  used  "  infamous  "  in  its  etymological 
sense  of  "  injurious  to  fame."  When  my  brother 
asked  him  how  he  could  allow  the  letter  of  Junius 
E/edivivus  to  charge  me  with  personal  corruption, 
he  said  that  he  had  not  looked  over  the  letter 
accurately.  He  never  saw  it  until  late  on  Satur- 
day night,  and  did  not  perceive  the  paragraph 
alluded  to.  Are  such  men  fit  dispensers  of  daily 
fame? 

July  11. — Went  to  the  great  Reform  Festival 
at  the  Guildhall.  Saw  and  heard  the  freedom 
of  the  City  presented  to  Lord  Grey  and  Lord 
Althorp. 

The  Duke  of  Sussex,  Lord  Grey,  Lord  Althorp, 
and  the  Peers  were  at  the  top  table;  the  others 


248  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

were  arranged  alphabetically.  I  was  a  great  way 
off,  next  to  Sir  James  Graham.  Stanley  was  still 
lower  down ;  he  looked  a  little  sulky,  I  thought. 
The  enthusiasm,  if  there  was  much,  scarcely 
reached  us.  All  made  Conservative  speeches, 
especially  Brougham,  who  parodied  "  the  Bill,  the 
whole  Bill,  etc.,"  into  "the  Law,  the  whole  Law, 
and  nothing  but  the  Law." 

More  than  one  person  remarked  to  me  that, 
if  justice  were  done,  Burdett  and  myself  should 
not  have  been  lost  in  the  crowd  when  Reform  was 
the  triumph  of  the  day ;  but  Burdett  did  not 
come,  and  I  received  notice  from  the  Lord  Mayor 
that  our  healths  were  about  to  be  drunk,  just 
as  the  Duke  of  Sussex  rose,  and  the  upper  table 
moved  away,  so  I  rose,  and  what  became  of  the 
toast  I  never  inquired  nor  heard.  If  fame  be  an 
object,  there  is  no  fear  that  the  truth  will  be 
acknowledged,  and  Burdett  at  least  have  his  due. 

July  12. — At  House  of  Commons,  where  sat  up 
till  5  a.m.  on  Russo-Belgian  loan  debate.  Our 
friends  had  the  best  of  the  debate  throughout  this 
time.  Peel  was  very  bitter,  but  only  bitter.  He 
made  no  figure  at  all. 

Our  46  majority  did  not  satisfy  Lord  Althorp ; 
indeed,  he  said  to  me  that  "the  Government 
was  like  a  hard-pushed  fox  running  fast,  but 
which  might  be  run  in  upon  at  any  moment." 
However,  I  thought  our  majority  quite  enough. 

Althorp  announced  that,  if  Ministers  were 
beaten,  they  should  resign.  Peel  remarked  on 


\S 


A  n,  <t 


^Jj  iU  \tc  II 
kz  fioAteAd-um  Of 


CHAP.  XIII.         FAREWELL    OF    THE    SPEAKER  249 

this,  "  No   wonder,   considering  the  state   of   the     1832. 
country."     A  pretty  fellow  !     What  was  the  state 
of  the  country  when  he  left  office  ? 

July  17. — Another  debate  on  Russian  loan. 
The  Opposition  made  very  angry  by  Joe  Hume 
declaring  he  would  vote  black  white,  rather  than 
assist  the  Tories  in  turning  out  the  Ministers. 

July  20. — A  last  struggle  on  Russian  loan.  We 
had  191  to  112,  an  increasing  majority,  which 
called  forth  a  cheer  from  our  friends. 

July  30. — Mr.  Speaker  took  leave  of  the  Chair 
and  the  House.  I  did  not  hear  his  speech,  but 
I  heard  some  of  the  compliments. 

The  Speaker  was  somewhat  moved ;  a  good  many 
that  moved  had  complained  of  his  partiality  in 
latter  times,  indeed  he  could  be  partial  at  a  pinch. 
However,  he  is  a  gentleman,  and  we  shall  not  like 
his  successor  so  well,  let  him  be  who  he  will. 

I  spoke  to  him  afterwards,  and  he  told  me  to 
my  surprise  that  he  did  not  consider  his  adieu 
as  definitive.  He  had  two  or  three  communica- 
tions with  Lord  Grey;  and  not  being  certain  of 
his  return  to  the  new  Parliament,  had  thought 
it  right  to  take  leave ;  but  the  House  might  chose 
him  again. 

August  2. — Very  difficult  to  keep  together  a 
House.  Wearisome  work  battling  between  Stanley 
and  Irish  Members.  Stanley  announces  a  new 
Irish  Impartial  Justice  Hill,  when  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  carry  through  the  ordinary  business 
of  Parliament. 

VOL.  iv  32 


250  LONDON  CHAP.  XIII. 

1832.  August  9. — I  presented  the  Report  and  evidence 
taken  before  the  Court  of  Inquiry  on  the  case 
of  Somerville.  The  Court  of  Inquiry  appear  to 
me  to  have  acted  fairly  enough.  Their  report 
and  the  King's  pleasure  quite  sufficient  censure 
on  Windham.  The  latter  was  much  stronger  as 
drawn  up  by  Grant,  and  assented  to  by  Lord  Hill ; 
but  Lord  Althorp  struck  out  the  words  "severe 
censure."  I  presented  these  papers  at  House 
of  Commons  this  night  at  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning. 

This  evening  Stanley  told  me  he  was  going  to 
Ireland,  and  would  get  the  Secretary's  house  in 
the  Phoenix  Park  ready  for  me.  I  laughed ;  but 
he  said,  "  Upon  my  honour,  I  am  in  earnest " ; 
and  he  then  spoke  about  my  succeeding  him  as 
a  settled  scheme. 

August  15. — I  saw  Lord  Frederick  EitzClarence, 
who  told  me  matters  were  going  on  well  at  Court. 
They  had  been  very  uncomfortable ;  but  now  were 
going  on  quiet,  and  the  King  in  good  humour. 
He  owned  he  and  his  family  were '  under  the 
greatest  obligations  to  the  Queen,  but  that  she 
ought  not  to  have  been  a  politician. 

EEOM  BOOK,  "RECOLLECTIONS." 

August  16. — Parliament  was  prorogued;  and 
Lord  Althorp,  Lord  John  Russell,  and  myself 
were  the  only  occupants  of  the  Treasury  bench 
who  attended  the  Speaker  and  some  eighty 
Members  to  the  House  of  Lords. 


CHAP.  XHI.  PARLIAMENT    PROROGUED  251 

There  were  not  many  Peers  present ;  and  only  1832. 
a  few  ladies — none  of  any  distinction,  either  for 
rank  or  beauty.  Lord  Grey  hore  the  sword  of 
State,  and  was  the  most  appropriate  personage 
in  the  ceremony.  Lord  Chancellor  Brougham 
also  made  a  suitable  part  of  the  show ;  hut  I 
thought,  when  he  put  the  speech  into  the  King's 
hand,  he  bowed  with  Persian  adoration.  The 
Speaker  made  a  good  speech,  and  touched  on  our 
Reform  Bill  without  any  offensive  remark.  The 
King's  Speech  was,  as  usual,  a  poor  performance. 
Reform  was  mentioned,  but  without  any  par- 
ticular notice.  The  King  was  very  loud ;  in  some 
sentences  ludicrously  so ;  as,  when  he  addressed 
the  Gentlemen  of  the  House  of  Commons,  he 
spoke  with  a  sudden  roar  and  emphasis  that  made 
me  start.  The  Lord  Chancellor  prorogued  the 
Parliament  until  the  16th  of  October. 

I  saw  the  King  return  to  the  Palace.  It  was 
like  a  funeral  procession :  scarcely  a  hat  taken 
off,  and  positively  no  cheering.  I  never  saw 
anything  of  the  kind  like  it  before.  What  a 
difference  between  his  prorogation  in  April  183] 
and  this  ceremony !  I  was  very  sorry,  and  au- 
gured no  good  from  this  bad  reception  of  royalty. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

EROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

1832.  August. — Wishing  to  be  near  London  during 
the  long  vacation,  I  rented  the  long-known 
residence  of  Archdeacon  Cambridge,  in  Twicken- 
ham Meadows.  Whilst  there,  our  friend  Admiral 
Sir  William  Hotham  paid  us  a  visit,  and  was 
as  agreeable  as  ever.  He  told  us  that  he  was 
at  an  advanced  post  with  Lord  Nelson  in  Corsica ; 
and,  as  the  shots  were  flying  about  him,  he 
(Hotham)  could  not  help  bobbing.  Nelson  asked 
to  look  through  Hotham's  telescope,  and  said, 
"  This  is  an  excellent  glass ;  do  you  know,  I  see 
the  French  officers  bobbing  !  "  Hotham  felt  the 
reproach  deeply ;  but  presently,  when  the  fire 
became  hotter,  he  saw  Nelson  bobbing.  He  then 
remonstrated  for  adverting  to  that  which  the 
bravest  man  in  the  world  might  do  inadvertently. 
Old  Lord  Duncan  used  to  say,  "You  may  bob 
with  your  head,  but  you  maunna  bob  with  your 
heels." 

August  29. — I  dined  with  Lord  Palmerston.  A 
gentleman  next  to  me,  just  come  from  Russia, 
told  me  that  the  Emperor  Nicholas  had  been 
much  enraged  at  the  strictures  on  his  conduct 

252 


CHAP.  XIV.         AN   EFFICIENT   WAR   OFFICE  263 

in  our  Parliament.  I  was  not  much  surprised 
at  this ;  but  I  was  much  surprised  when  the  same 
gentleman  added  that  "  the  Emperor  was  the  most 
liberal  man  in  his  own  dominions." 

FROM  DIARY. 

September  8. — I  went  to  Bath  with  my  wife  to 
attend  a  public  dinner  given  to  my  brother  Henry, 
who  was  candidate  for  the  city. 

September  14. — Left  Bath,  which  I  should  not 
like  to  live  in. 

EROM  BOOK,  "  BECOLLECTIONS." 

Monday,  October  1. — I  had  not  a  single  paper 
undecided  on  my  table  at  the  War  Office,  and 
Mr.  Sullivan  told  me  that  very  soon  all  the  arrears 
would  be  disposed  of.  This  was  well  for  our 
Office ;  but  I  heard  on  the  following  Monday, 
from  Sir  James  Graham,  that  the  Government 
had  an  awful  amount  of  demands  for  next  session. 
Something  must  be  done  in  regard  to  the  East 
Indies,  also  the  West  Indies,  also  the  Bank 
Charter,  also  the  Church  questions  both  in 
England  and  Ireland.  He  told  me,  moreover, 
that  he  did  not  at  all  like  the  Belgian  business. 

October  10. — I  heard  that  most  of  the  Ministers 
were  in  London,  and  the  King  at  St.  James's ;  and 
that,  in  expectation  of  war  between  Holland  and 
Belgium,  a  French  fleet  was  to  join  our  squadron 
at  Portsmouth.  I  was  glad,  however,  to  hear 
from  Lord  Chancellor  Brougham  that  there  was 


254  LONDON  CHAP.  XTV. 

1832.  no  intention  of  calling  upon  the  old  Parliament 
to  reassemble ;  or,  as  he  phrased  it,  "  to  call  the 
old  condemned  thief  into  court  again." 

PROM  DIARY. 

October  17. — Called  at  Holland  House,  and 
found  Lord  and  Lady  Holland  looking  very  ill. 
She  told  me  she  was  frightened,  and  was  attended 
by  seven  physicians. 

PROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

October  23. — I  dined  at  5  o'clock  at  Holland 
House.  Allen  was  there,  Miss  Pox,  Lord  Althorp, 
Sir  James  Graham,  Labouchere,  Lord  and  Lady 
Grey,  and  Sydney  Smith. 

Before  dinner  we  went  to  look  at  a  bed  used 
in  hospitals.  It  floated  on  water,  and  Sydney 
Smith  got  upon  it,  and  floundered  and  flounced 
upon  it  for  some  time.  "  Oh  for  H.B.  !  "  said 
Graham.  The  sight  was  infinitely  ludicrous, 
and  we  laughed  most  heartily  at  it,  and  kept 
up  the  merriment  in  the  dining-room;  but 
whatever  pleasantry  there  was  in  the  sight,  the 
joke  was  lost  without  the  man  who  caused  it, 
as  is  generally  the  case  with  humorists,  and 
more  so  with  Sydney  Smith  than  any  man  I 
ever  knew.  However,  the  party  on  this  evening 
were  in  high  spirits,  in  spite  of  fears  for  Ireland, 
and  uncertainties  about  Dom  Pedro  and  the 
struggles  in  Belgium. 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  freedom  in  the  talk 


CHAP.  XIV.       PERSONALITIES    OF    A   CABINET  255 

concerning  our  Lord  Chancellor,  and  Lord  Grey  1832. 
did  not  spare  him.  He  told  us  that  Brougham 
would  never  forgive  Hayter,  the  painter,  for 
representing  him  looking  towards  Denman,  as  if 
for  a  hint.  But  the  Cabinet  of  those  days  con- 
tained one  man  who  did  not  speak  well  of  any 
of  his  colleagues,  or  of  the  Court.  According 
to  him,  E/ussell  was  the  best  of  them,  next 
Graham,  next  Althorp ;  but  the  others  either 
unwilling  or  incapable.  One  day,  at  a  party 
which  Lord  Grey  had  not  left  more  than  five 
minutes,  this  colleague  of  his  said,  in  presence 
of  Lord  John  Russell,  speaking  of  the  Cabinet, 
"  Such  a  set !  such  a  fourteen  round  a  table  ! !  " 
Russell  said  nothing  to  this  exclamation. 

During  my  residence  at  Cambridge  House, 
Lord  Durham  lived  at  Sudbroke  Park,  and  I  saw 
a  good  deal  of  him  just  after  his  return  from 
St.  Petersburg.  He  spoke  very  highly  of  the 
Emperor  Nicholas,  and  of  his  minister  Nesselrode. 

PROM  DIARY. 

November  2. — Walked  over  to  Sudbroke,  and 
passed  the  whole  morning  walking  with  Lord 
Durham.  He  told  me  the  other  day  Stanley 
proposed  his  Church  Reform  at  a  Cabinet  dinner, 
and  insisted  that  it  should  be  agreed  to  and  made 
a  final  measure  like  the  Reform  Bill.  Lord 
Durham  protested  against  the  Cabinet  pledging 
itself  in  such  a  manner,  and  it  was  resolved  to 
postpone  the  measure  until  next  Cabinet.  Ac- 


256  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1832.  cordingly  they  met  at  Lord  Holland's,  and  to 
Lord  Durham's  surprise  he  was  the  only  opponent 
of  the  measure.  So  Stanley  is  gone  to  Ireland 
to  prepare  his  Bills. 

Lord  Durham  said  he  had  often  heen  tempted 
to  resign  in  consequence  of  the  imbecility  of  the 
Government ;  nothing  but  his  attachment  to  Lord 
Grey  kept  him  in  office.  Yet  even  Lord  Grey 
did  not  do  well ;  he  liked  best  those  who  flattered 
him  most,  and  was  happier  with  Madame  de  Lieven 
and  the  Duchesse  de  Dino  (Talleyrand's  niece) 
than  with  plain-spoken  politicians. 

Lord  Durham  talking  of  home  politics  said 
that  he  thought  a  dispersion  of  the  present 
Cabinet  very  probable,  but  was  confident  that 
all  would  go  right  after  this  King's  death ;  even 
he  was  getting  more  sensible.  ((  Le  jour  viendra," 
was  Lord  Durham's  motto. 

We  talked  of  the  formation  of  the  present 
Government.  At  the  meeting  of  Lord  Grey's 
friends  at  Lansdowne  House,  it  was  discussed 
who  was  to  be  Lord  Chancellor.  Lord  Lynd- 
hurst?  "No."  Brougham?  "Oh,  no,  no!" 
Everybody  was  against  him ;  and  when  he  was 
subsequently  selected,  Lord  Holland  said,  "  Then 
we  shall  never  have  another  comfortable  moment 
in  this  room." 

Brougham,  however,  has  done  pretty  well  in 
that  respect,  except  that  he  once  opposed  the 
Disfranchisement  of  the  Rotten  Boroughs,  but  was 
overpowered.  "And  this  man's  name,"  said  Lord 


CHAP.  XIV.  BBOUGHAM   AND   OTHERS  257 

Durham,  "  is  to  be  on  the  Reform  Column,  and 
mine,  who  drew  the  Bill,  not  !  "  "  Never  mind," 
said  I,  "there  is  History;  a  book  lasts,  but  a 
column  falls."  Lord  Durham  replied  that  was 
his  consolation.  I  added  that  others  who  had 
struggled  from  beginning  to  end  in  this  cause 
would  not  be  named  either  on  columns  or  by 
history,  but  such  had  been  the  lot  of  men  at  all 
times,  so  we  moralised. 

Durham  dealt  his  censures  pretty  impartially 
on  all  his  colleagues.1  He  says  Brougham  is  an 
altered  man,  but  he  still  retains  his  boundless 
ambition,  and  will  be  trying  at  everything  and 
dropping  everything.  His  Chancery  Bankrupt 
Court  is  a  complete  failure,  and  in  the  business 
of  his  own  court,  the  arrears  are  getting  as  bad 
as  ever. 

Stanley  he  thinks  nothing  but  a  debater,  an 
arrogant,  narrow-minded  man ;  Graham,  an  official 
drudge,  a  gentleman  and  a  saint,  inclined  to 
Stanley.  Graham  had  my  place  .offered  to  him, 
but  he  said  he  was  a  county  member  and  could 
take  nothing  under  a  Cabinet  place,  so  Lord 
Durham  proposed  he  should  have  the  Admiralty. 
This  was  arranged  in  the  hurry  of  the  moment ; 
Graham  not  knowing  a  man-of-war  from  a  day 
barge,  nor  was  it  necessary  he  should.  My  name 
was  mentioned,  but  the  reply  was,  "  What,  have 
a  Radical !  "  etc.  And  so  they  went  to  sober, 
steady  Charles  Wynn  first,  then  came  Parnell ; 

1  He  held  the  office  of  Lord  Privy  Seal. 

VOL.  iv  33 


258  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

and  when  one  deserted,  and  the  other  betrayed, 
came  to  the  Radical  at  last. 

We  talked  a  good  deal  about  the  Elections. 
Lord  Durham  expected  the  returns  would  be 
decidedly  against  the  Conservatives,  although 
he  was  most  anxious  for  the  Government  to  hold 
together  until  the  new  Parliament  should  be 
chosen,  so  I  suppose  he  thinks  the  contrary  not 
altogether  impossible. 

He  said  neither  Lord  Grey  nor  Lord  Althorp  in 
reality  thought  of  or  wished  to  resign.  Even 
Lord  Goderich,  who,  when  the  last  short  inter- 
regnum took  place,  left  the  Cabinet  room  saying, 
"  Now,  thank  God,  this  is  the  last  time  I  shall 
put  foot  here,"  even  he  will  not  give  way  that 
Stanley  may  have  his  place.  As  for  Brougham, 
he  wants  to  be  Prime  Minister,  and  is  doing  all 
to  please  the  King. 

I  put  down  all  these  things  from  Lord  Durham 
as  being  true ;  I  do  not  see  why  they  should  not 
be.  I  gave  him  my  own  opinion  very  freely, 
and  told  him  I  did  not  know  how  I  could  meet 
the  new  House  of  Commons  as  Secretary-at-War. 
He  agreed  with  me,  but  said  I  ought  to  wait  and 
do  nothing  precipitately.  I  am  not  quite  sure 
that  he  is  right;  indeed,  had  I  not  the  hope  of 
doing  some  good  in  the  office  by  my  new  warrant, 
and  seeing  all  the  arrears  got  rid  of,  I  do  not 
know  that  I  should  feel  justified  in  staying  any 
longer  in  office. 

November  13. — I  dined  with  Lord  Durham,  who 


CHAP.  XIV.  A    REQUEST    FOB   PLEDGES  259 

seemed  as  little  pleased  as  ever.  He  told  me  that 
the  "fortunate  youth  "  (Stanley)  had  managed  to 
lose  every  election  in  Ireland. 

November  18. — Three  independent  electors  of 
Westminster,  whose  names  were  unknown  to  me, 
called,  and  asked  me  to  pledge  myself  to  hallot, 
triennial  Parliaments,  and  abolition  of  taxes  on 
houses  and  windows  and  assessed  taxes.  I  did  not 
hesitate  a  moment  in  refusing  to  give  any  pledge 
whatever.  I  said  they  were  quite  right,  if  they 
suspected  me,  to  choose  somebody  else ;  that  I 
was  perfectly  indifferent  whether  I  was  chosen 
or  not;  that  if  I  had  not  acted  in  such  a  way 
as  to  beget  confidence  in  fourteen  years  I  never 
should  be  able  so  to  do.  I  did  not  intend  to 
divide  the  Reformers  ;  I  should  soon  see  how  the 
land  lay,  and  would  take  measures  accordingly; 
that  I  should  part  with  the  electors  on  good  terms, 
and  look  back  on  our  long  connection  with  feelings 
of  pride  and  satisfaction,  without  a  single  regret, 
and  persuaded  that  the  time  would  come  when 
my  view  on  the  subject  of  pledges  would  be 
theirs. 

They  remarked  that  my  conduct,  on  that 
occasion,  was  very  handsome  and  open,  and  they 
hoped  theirs  had  been  the  same.  I  replied  that 
it  had,  they  had  acted  openly  and  handsomely; 
but  others  had  not  so  acted,  and  that  long  ago  I 
had  information  that  it  had  been  resolved  to 
oppose  me,  on  some  protext  or  the  other.  They 
replied  that  the  result  depended  on  my  answer. 


260  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1832.  I  added  that  "they  had  my  answer;  and  that 
Colonel  Evans,  or  Colonel  anybody,  would  be  a 
better  man  than  myself  for  .any  constituency  that 
thought  pledges  requisite. 

One  of  the  party,  a  young  man,  said  that  he 
had  formed  quite  a  romantic  opinion  of  me.  I 
smiled,  and  said,  "There  was  an  end  of  all 
romance  after  this  conversation."  They  laughed 
and  made  their  bows.  Such  was  Scene  1  of 
Act  I.  of  my  separation  from  Westminster.  I  felt 
that  I  had  done  quite  right,  and  never  was  better 
satisfied  with  myself  in  my  life. 

Later  in  the  day  I  had  a  visit  from  Sir  Francis 
Burdett,  who  said  he  had  a  letter  from  Colonel 
Evans,  stating  that  he  had  consented  to  become 
a  candidate  for  Westminster,  and  was  determined 
to  oppose  me. 

November  19. — E.  Ellice  called  and  showed  me 
a  most  extraordinary  correspondence  between  him 
and  Lord  Grey,  relative  to  Lord  Durham's  con- 
duct since  his  return. 

Lord  Grey  complains  that  it  would  be  impos- 
sible to  prevent  a  rupture  between  him  and  Lord 
Durham.  Lord  Durham  had  said  Stanley  was 
not  the  man  to  conduct  Irish  affairs.  On  the 
other  hand,  Lord  Grey  said  to  Ellice  that  Stanley 
must  be  Secretary  of  State,  and  that  Lord  Durham 
was  much  mistaken  if  he  thought  he  could  head 
a  party. 

Ellice  wrote  a  very  sensible  letter  to  Lord  Grey, 
confessing  the  faults  of  Durham's  temper,  but 


CHAP.  XIV.  LORD   DURHAM  261 

telling  him  that  all  his  views  on  the  great  points 
of  discussion  last  session  had  turned  out  to  be 
right,  and  therefore  he  was  a  considerable  man 
and  ought  not  to  be  neglected,  urging  on  Lord 
Grey  at  the  same  time  the  necessity  of  yielding 
to  public  opinion. 

I  own  I  thought  Ellice's  views  quite  correct, 
but  how  Lord  Grey  should  have  sent  such  a 
letter  to  Ellice  at  Paris  passes  my  comprehension. 
It  is  impossible  things  can  go  on  in  this  way ! 

November  21. — I  had  a  note  from  Lord  Durham 
begging  me  to  see  him  on  important  business.  I 
went,  and  he  showed  me  a  correspondence  re- 
specting the  projected  Irish  Tithe  Measure; 
Stanley's  plan  in  print,  and  his  remarks  thereon. 
Stanley  stated  that  if  there  had  been  any  objec- 
tion to  his  measure,  he  ought  to  have  been  told 
so  before,  and  altogether  took  a  very  high  tone 
indeed. 

Lord  Durham  was  undecided  whether  he  ought 
to  resign  at  once  or  wait  until  the  Bill  came 
before  Parliament.  He  asked  me  whether  I 
thought  he  would  be  supported  by  the  public 
if  he  went  out;  and  wished  me  to  consult  Tom 
Barnes  on  the  matter.  I  told  him  my  impres- 
sion was  he  ought  not  to  resign ;  and  as  he  in- 
sisted on  the  necessity  of  knowing  how  he  might 
be  supported,  I  said  I  would  consult  the  person 
in  question. 

I  found  Tom  Barnes  in  bed  at  half-past  one, 
the  shutters  closed,  and  there  talked  to  him  "  in 


262  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1832.  cloudy  tabernacle  shrined."  The  result  was  he 
thought  nobody  knew  Lord  Durham's  merits ; 
nobody  would  think  about  him  if  he  went  out; 
that  except  Lord  Grey  and  Lord  Brougham  no  one 
had  such  influence  as  to  interest  the  public  about 
the  Irish  Church  question,  and  that  the  Protestant 
feeling  in  England  was  so  strong  as  to  make  it 
very  doubtful  whether  Government  would  be 
supported  at  home  in  upholding  Catholicism  in 
Ireland.  It  was  time  enough  for  Lord  Durham 
to  go  out  when  the  Bill  came  in. 

How  Tom  Barnes  must  laugh  in  his  sleeve  at 
a  Cabinet  question  being  referred  to  the  editor 
of  a  newspaper  1  Nevertheless  I  believe  there 
was  no  better  course  to  take  in  order  to  keep 
my  friend  straight. 

November  22. — Lord  Durham  was  rather  piqued 
at  the  result  of  my  interview  with  Tom  Barnes, 
but  agreed  that  it  would  be  better  for  him  to 
acquiesce  in  the  decision  of  the  Cabinet.  On 
going  away  he  said :  "  I  shall  not  let  the  fellows 
know  my  determination  sooner  than  I  can  help. 
I  will  keep  them  in  hot  water  as  long  as  I  can." 
Amusing  man ! 

Ellice  told  me  to-day  that  the  real  origin  of 
Lord  Durham's  dissatisfaction  with  Lord  Grey 
was  the  refusal  of  an  Earldom  at  the  Corona- 
tion.1 

November  28. — Lord  Al thorp  told  me  to-day 
that  Lord  Grey  has  consented  to  my  W.O.  re- 

1  He  was  created  Earl  of  Durham  in  1833. 


CHAP.  XIV.      NEW    ELECTION    AT    WESTMINSTER  263 

forms,  which  are  to  be  finally  determined  on  by 
Palmer  ston. 

December  3.  —  Parliament  dissolved  this  day. 

December  6.  —  I  dined  at  East  Sheen  with  Lord 
Grey:  a  small  family  party.  The  talk  chiefly 
about  novels.  He  is  an  amiable  man  with  an 
amiable  family,  but  I  cannot  discover  his  capacity, 
except,  to  be  sure,  as  a  talker  in  Parliament. 


BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

On  Saturday,  December  8,  came  on  the  nomina- 
tion for  the  representation  of  Westminster,  at 
the  usual  hustings  before  St.  Paul's  Church  in 
Covent  Garden. 

A  considerable  crowd  of  friends  accompanied 
Sir  Francis  and  myself.  Mr.  Hughes,  the  American 
Minister,,  and  a  son  of  Casimir  Perier  were 
amongst  them.  We  were  at  first  well  received, 
but  hissing  and  hooting  soon  began  ;  and  placards 
were  exhibited,  containing  caricatures,  one  of 
which  represented  the  Secretary-at-War  flogging 
Somerville  !  !  and  extracting  thirty  shillings  from 
his  pocket.  One  man  immediately  in  front 
dangled  a  cat-o'  -nine-tails  at  me.  Our  foreign 
friends  had  full  opportunity  of  witnessing  the 
humours  of  an  English  contested  election. 

My  opponent  made  up  for  previous  civility  by 
making  a  very  malignant  attack  on  me,  charging 
me  with  all  sorts  of  delinquencies,  of  which  he 
must  have  known  I  was  not  guilty  ;  and  par- 
ticularly dwelling  on  flogging,  and  my  bringing 


264  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1832.  in  the  Mutiny  Bill  to  perpetuate  that  cruel 
punishment.  He  spoke  from  notes,  and  spoke 
for  a  hour.  I  bore  it  all  as  well  as  I  could,  and 
then  stepped  forward  to  speak ;  but  the  crowd 
began  yelling  and  flinging  mud.  Some  of  this 
strayed  and  lighted  on  the  American  Minister, 
who  was  not  at  all  pleased,  and  said  he  had  seen 
nothing  like  it  in  America.  On  my  remarking 
that  the  mud  was  not  dangerous,  he  said  it  was 
not  mud,  it  was  merde,  which  it  was  not. 

Wednesday,  December  12. — Sir  Francis  and 
myself  went  to  Covent  Garden,  and  heard  the 
High  Bailiff  declare  the  state  of  the  poll  at  the 
close  :  B.,  3247;  IL,  3214;  E.,  1096.  So  Burdett 
and  I  were  declared  duly  elected.  "  Gratse  vices. " 
To  compensate  for  this  Westminster  triumph, 
I  soon  heard  the  very  disagreeable  news  that  my 
brother  Henry  was  beaten  at  Bath,  and  my  half- 
brother  Thomas  Benjamin  beaten  at  Aylesbury. 
It  was  something  of  a  set-off  against  these 
disasters  that  my  late  opponent,  Colonel  Evans, 
had  been  beaten  at  Rye,  after  his  defeat  at 
Westminster. 

PROM  DIARY. 

December  21. — I  foresee  the  impossibility  of 
holding  office,  Westminster,  and  character  to- 
gether. I  may  add,  conscience,  for  Westminster 
may  require  more  than  I  ought  to  grant,  even 
were  I  not  in  office. 

December  23. — I  met   Lord   Sidmouth   to-day, 


CHAP.  XIV.          A   QUESTION   OF   RESIGNING  265 

looking  as  fresh  as  if  he  had  never  drunk  a  glass 
of  wine,  he  heing  seventy-seven. 

December  30. — I  had  a  hint  from  Lord  John 
Russell  that  the  army  was  not  to  be  reduced. 

I  saw  Lord  Althorp  on  the  subject,  and  told 
him  unless  there  was  to  be  some  reduction  of  the 
army  I  could  not  remain  at  the  War  Office.  He 
agreed  with  me ;  but  said  that  my  resigning  would 
go  far  to  break  up  the  Government.  I  remarked 
that  I  would  do  this  in  a  way  the  least  injurious 
to  the  Cabinet,  and  that  it  would  be  easy  to  find 
another  Secretary-at-War.  Lord  Althorp  then 
asked  me  how  I  would  like  Ireland.  I  replied, 
"  Better."  He  then  said  that  he  wished  me  to 
write  a  very  strong  letter  to  him,  which,  if  it  met 
with  his  own  views,  he  would  stand  by  as  well 
as  myself. 

January  1,  1833. — My  servants  had  a  dance ; 
all  seemed  very  happy,  so  should  I  be  if  my  wife's 
cough  would  get  well.  The  babies  are  in  excellent 
health,  and  most  things  prosper  with  me ;  but  then 
this  frightful  disease. 

PROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

I  employed  the  first  days  of  this  year  in  writing 
my  letter  to  Lord  Althorp,  and  preparing  a 
scheme  .for  reducing  the  land  forces.  Although 
nominally  the  reduction  amounted  to  4,667  men, 
it  did  not  exceed  927  actual  effectives.  Lord 
Althorp  consented  to  back  this  proposal,  and,  if 
resisted,  to  adopt  whatever  course  I  might  think 

VOL.  iv  34 


266  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

fit  to  follow.  I  begged  him  not  to  quit  office  for 
a  few  thousand  men  more  or  less  on  their  military 
establishment,  and  thereby  break  up  a  good 
Administration.  Lord  Althorp  persisted,  saying, 
"An  Administration  is  only  good  when  it  does 
good  things." 

FROM  DIARY. 

January  7. — Lord  Althorp  read  to  me  some 
notes  made  by  Lord  Grey  on  my  letter,  the  sum 
of  which  was,  that  he  was  responsible  for  the 
safety  of  the  country,  that  he  thought  the  force 
wanted,  that  he  hoped  the  House  of  Commons 
would  not  ask  anything  that  was  not  reasonable, 
and  finally  that  my  retiring  from  office  would  be 
"fatal." 

The  next  day  I  went  with  Lord  Althorp  to 
Lord  Grey.  As  we  were  walking,  Lord  Althorp 
told  me  that  he  would  resign  if  I  did.  He  would 
not  face  the  House  of  Commons  if  I  went  out. 
Parnell  and  myself  leaving  the  War  Office,  one 
after  the  other,  would  be  fatal ;  for,  although 
Parnell  was  an  extravagant  Reformer,  it  was  now 
notorious  that  I  was  a  moderate  man.  He  said 
that  Lord  Grey  was  stiff  against  reduction  of 
force. 

Lord  Grey  received  us  with  a  long  face,  having 
half  a  dozen  red  boxes  under  his  arm,  filled,  as 
he  said,  with  disastrous  news  from  Ireland,  and 
from  Huddersfield,  requiring  more  troops. 

He  then  talked  of  my  proposed  reductions,  and 


CHAP.  XIV.  ARMY   REFORMS  267 

said  he  had  no  objection  to  taking  away  troops  1833 
from  the  Colonies ;  but  those  taken  must  be  sent 
to  Ireland.  He  read  to  me  a  letter  from  Lord 
Anglesey,  stating  that  he  should  want  three  or 
four  additional  regiments,  if  not  more.  I  had 
nothing  to  say  to  this  ;  but  asked  what  was  to  be 
done  if  we  were  beaten  on  the  Estimates.  Lord 
Grey  said,  "  Go  out " ;  and  he  then  talked  of 
his  "  responsibilities  for  the  safety  of  the  country, 
and  how  likely  it  was  that  some  collision  would 
take  place  between  the  soldiers  and  the  people  ; 
and  if  the  people  got  the  better  of  the  soldiers 
once,  there  would  be  an  end  of  everything." 

Lord  Grey  did  not  think  I  could  diminish  the 
Pension  Warrant  to  the  scale  fixed  by  me.  He 
pitied  the  soldier,  and,  in  short,  convinced  me  that 
I  had  another  Lord  Hill,  or  worse,  to  deal  with. 

As  to  my  other  reforms  respecting  defining  and 
raising  the  character  of  the  Secretary-at-War,  and 
making  the  transfers  which  I  proposed  in  my  last 
letter  to  the  Treasury,  he  approved  ;  but  the  first 
plan  was  to  be  submitted  to  Lord  Hill ! ! !  That 
is,  to  the  person  who  is  to  have  his  power  and 
authority  curtailed  by  my  plan.  I  said  I  had  no 
objection  to  have  the  scheme  submitted  to  Lord 
Hill ;  but  if  he  was  to  have  a  veto  my  whole 
labour  would  be  lost.  It  was  agreed  that  I  should 
draw  up  reasons  for  framing  a  new  Minute  of 
Council  respecting  the  Secretary-at-War. 

I  took  leave  of  the  First  Lord  and  his  Chancel- 
lor of  the  Exchequer  "  re  infecta"  Thus  ended 


268  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

this  interview  by  which  my  masters,  no  doubt, 
think  they  have  accomplished  their  object  of 
inducing  me  to  remain  in  office  without  any 
material  reform  or  retrenchment,  if  any  at  all. 
But  I  will  do  no  such  thing ;  if  I  cannot  carry 
my  reductions,  I  will  attempt  the  other  alternative 
proposed  in  my  letter:  reform  of  my  office.  If 
I  fail  there,  I  will  resign,  and  I  shall  fail  and  I 
shall  resign. 

Some  of  my  constituents  called  on  me  to  ask  me 
what  course  Ministers  intended  to  take  about  the 
House  and  Window  Tax,  and  hinted  that  I  ought 
to  threaten  to  resign  if  the  tax  were  not  repealed. 
I  said  I  was  not  chosen  M.P.  for  Westminster 
solely  to  take  off  the  House  and  Window  Tax. 
We  had  another  warm  debate,  which  convinces 
me  that  I  cannot  long  be  M.P.  for  Westminster 
and  in  the  War  Office, 

In  short,  I  am  beset  with  difficulties  every  way. 
What  sort  of  speech  am  I  to  make  on  Monday  ? 
I  cannot  and  will  not  say  what  I  do  not  think ; 
and  if  I  am  perfectly  sincere  and  tell  all  I  feel, 
much  mischief  may  be  done. 

Lord  Al thorp  owned  to  me  that  Stanley  had  done 
harm  by  his  declarations  as  to  ballot,  but  more 
by  the  mode  and  manner  of  making  them  than 
by  the  substance,  which  was  nothing  more  than 
he,  Althorp,  said,  namely,  that  so  far  as  the  present 
Government  were  concerned,  the  Reform  Bill  was  a 
final  measure. 

January  12. — I  had  a  note  from  Lord  Althorp, 


CHAP.  XIV.  EMANCIPATION   OF   SLAVES  269 

requesting  me  to  go  to  him  before  four  o'clock,  on  1333. 
urgent  business.  I  went,  and  he  told  me  that  the 
army  was  to  be  increased  by  an  additional  five 
thousand  rank  and  file;  and  that  the  increase 
would  be  wanted,  and  justified,  in  consequence 
of  a  great  measure  which  had  been  resolved  upon 
by  the  Cabinet.  This  was  neither  more  nor  less 
than  the  entire  Emancipation  of  the  Slaves,  at  a 
period  to  be  fixed  either  for  January  1835  or 
January  1837,  probably  the  former.  I  stared, 
and  smiled,  as  well  I  might. 

He  added  that  he  thought  the  Emancipation 
would  be  more  popular  than  the  Reform  Bill.  I 
did  not  agree  with  an  augmentation,  and  said  I 
could  find  5,000  men  amongst  the  veterans. 
Lord  Al thorp  then  changed  the  subject  and  asked 
me  if  I  could  go  to  Ireland  at  once.  I  replied  that 
I  was  not  aware  of  anything  to  prevent  me ;  but 
that  one  office  was  pretty  much  like  another — 
it  was  being  "between  the  devil  and  the  deep 
sea,"  although,  of  the  two,  perhaps  Ireland  was 
the  least  detestable. 

I  said  my  real  wish  was  to  withdraw  altogether ; 
but  I  did  not  see  how  I  could  do  so,  unless 
required  to  do  something  palpably  wrong.  Lord 
Althorp  told  me  that  I  must  not  leave  them  on 
any  account,  and  added  that,  when  he  had  told 
Lord  Grey  he  would  not  face  the  House  if  I  left 
the  War  Office  on  account  of  the  amount  of 
the  Estimates,  Lord  Grey  replied,  "  By  G — d  ! 
nor  will  I." 


270  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1833.  I  went  away  to  the  War  Office,  and  prepared 
a  scheme  for  a  transfer  of  troops  to  the  West 
Indies,  without  augmentation  of  the  army.  I 
then  went  to  Downing  Street  and  made  my 
statement,  which  was  agreed  to,  so  that  I  had  a 
right  to  conclude  there  was  to  be  no  augmentation 
of  force. 

I  dined  with  a  party  at  Baillie's,  and  had  a 
long  conversation  with  Eickersteth.  I  think 
even  he  is  not  satisfied  with  an  M.P.  for  West- 
minster belonging  to  the  present  Administration. 
He  most  particularly  dislikes  Brougham,  who 
he  tells  me  gives  general  dissatisfaction  in  his 
court,  and  never  finishes  anything  that  he  begins. 
We  both  agreed  that  his  fame  could  not  rest  on 
the  versatility  of  his  powers. 

January  14. — A  Westminster  dinner,  but  it  did 
not  resemble  our  old  Westminster  dinners  in  the 
least.  Thomas  Duncombe,  our  Chairman,  con- 
trived to  be  very  violent  against  the  finality  of 
the  Reform  Bill ;  on  which,  when  it  came  to  my 
turn,  I  only  said  that  a  good  authority  had  told 
us  there  was  no  such  thing  as  "  man  and  for 
ever,"  but  that  I  hoped  the  country  would  give 
the  Ministers  and  their  measure  a  fair  trial. 

January  16. — I  sent  Lord  Grey  a  short  memo- 
randum on  the  duties  and  power  of  the  Secretary  - 
at-War,  and  also  a  draft  of  a  Minute  of  Council, 
which  I  proposed  to  substitute  for  that  of  29th 
of  May,  1822,  which  sanctions  the  intolerable 
interference  of  the  military  authorities. 


CHAP.  XIV.  NAHMEK    PASHA  271 

Dined  at  home  and  went  in  the  evening  to  a  1833. 
public  meeting  of  the  parishioners  of  St.  James's, 
convened  to  consider  the  Repeal  of  House  and 
Window  Tax.  Very  disagreeable.  I  spoke  my 
mind  very  openly,  that  if  they  persevered  in 
pressing  the  Government  to  repeal  taxes,  they 
would  embarrass  them  in  every  possible  way. 
I  warned  them  that,  as  belonging  to  that  Govern- 
ment, I  must  stand  by  them,  and  recommended 
them  to  give  me  instructions  what  they  wished 
me  to  do. 

I  foresee  a  storm  in  Westminster,  and  I  trust 
shall  weather  it  without  losing  character  or 
sacrificing  my  own  conscience,  though  I  do  not 
know  how. 

FROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

January  18. — I  met  a  very  remarkable  man 
at  the  Lord  Chancellor's  dinner-table.  This  was 
Nahmek  Pasha,  the  Turkish  Ambassador.  He 
had  nothing  to  distinguish  him  from  us,  except 
that  he  wore  the  plain  red  cap,  which  he  occasion- 
ally removed,  and  discovered  a  head  of  black  hair. 
On  his  left  breast  was  a  diamond  crescent,  a 
present  from  the  Sultan,  and  he  had  a  gold  chain 
round  his  neck.  He  was  rather  good-looking, 
with  arched  black  eyebrows,  and  an  aquiline 
nose.  His  manners  were  easy  and  polite,  with 
very  little,  if  any,  of  the  gravity  of  a  Turk.  He 
handed  down  pretty  Miss  Spalding  to  dinner 
(Lady  Brougham's  daughter)  with  the  air  of  a 


272  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1833t  Frenchman.  He  drank  wine  like  the  rest  of  us. 
He  spoke  French,  not  very  well,  but  quite  enough 
for  conversation. 

I  thought,  whilst  sitting  between  Lord  Chan- 
cellor Brougham  and  Lord  Chief  Justice  Denman, 
I  myself  being  Secretary-at-War,  the  Reform  Bill 
being  now  the  law  of  the  land,  and  other  wonders 
now  in  full  play,  that  the  sight  of  the  reformed 
Turk  opposite  to  me  was  more  strange  than  all. 

He  conversed  on  all  the  usual  topics,  the  operas 
and  plays,  our  climate,  etc.,  with  Miss  Spalding ; 
and,  when  she  was  gone,  answered  all  Brougham's 
questions  about  Constantinople  and  the  Sultan 
very  pleasantly  and  readily.  He  gave  us  an 
account  of  the  present  Grand  Vizier,  and  told  us 
that  His  Highness  had  been  the  slave  of  another 
great  officer  of  state,  who  now  treated  him  with 
the  utmost  deference.  He  mentioned  several 
other  grandees  of  the  Court,  and  generally  added 
whose  slaves  they  had  originally  been.  He 
mentioned  the  word  without  the  least  repugnance. 

He  spoke  of  the  present  Grand  Vizier  as  being 
very  f(  vif,"  when  manoeuvring  his  troops  in 
sham  battles ;  so  lively,  indeed,  that  he  made 
them  fire  bullets  and  charge  bayonets,  and  kill 
one  another ;  although,  in  private  life,  he  was 
a  mild  man. 

The  Sultan,  he  said,  was  a  great  man,  and  a 
very  handsome  man,  forty -six  years  of  age.  Of 
his  two  sons,  the  younger,  only  six  years  of 
age,  was  a  prodigy.  He  gave  us  an  account 


CHAP.  XIV.  TURKEY   AND   ENGLAND  273 

of  his  taking  leave  of  this  child.  The  boy  asked 
him  where  he  was  going.  "  To  England."  "  Do 
you  go  by  Persia  P  "  "  No,  nearer  to  Egypt." 
"  Oh,"  said  the  child,  "  there  are  revolutions 
there."  The  boy  called  the  Sultan  "the  great 
Lion,"  his  brother  "the  middle  Lion,"  and  him- 
self "  the  little  Lion."  "  And  what  am  I  ?  "  asked 
Nahmek  Pasha.  "Oh,  you  are  the  Eox  !  "  replied 
the  boy. 

Lord  Brougham  asked  Nahmek  about  the  Turkish 
laws.  He  said  they  were  very  good  in  them- 
selves, but  badly  executed.  He  mentioned  several 
punishments  in  use,  but  not  sanctioned  by  law. 
Brougham  asked  him  how  they  punished  theft. 
The  Pasha  said  the  law  awarded  the  loss  of  the 
left  hand  for  the  first  offence,  of  the  right  hand 
for  the  second,  and  of  the  head  for  the  third ; 
but  often  they  began  by  the  head  I  ! 

When  the  party  broke  up,  I  took  the  liberty  of 
talking  with  the  Pasha  alone.  He  said :  "  Ah, 
you  are  a  great  nation,  superior  to  any  I  have 
seen.  What  is  experiment  elsewhere,  is  stability 
here.  They  are  beginning  in  France ;  but  you 
have  been  long  superior  to  all.  Your  villages 
look  as  handsome  as  the  streets  of  some  metro- 
politan cities."  I  remarked  that  we  had  just 
accomplished  a  great  Reform;  but  we  did  not 
think  we  had  arrived  at  perfection.  "Another 
proof,"  said  the  Pasha,  "of  your  wisdom."  I 
complimented  him  on  their  improvements  in 
Turkey.  "  Oh,"  said  he,  "  we  do  something,  some 

VOL.  iv  35 


274  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1833.     little    matter    in    our    way ;    mais    que    voulez- 
vous  ?  " 

Miss  Spalding  told  us  afterwards  that  she  had 
some  conversation  with  the  Pasha,  and  said  to 
him  that  the  Turks  ought  to  have  a  Parliament. 
"Yes,"  he  replied,  "  in  three  hundred  years." 
"Well,  well,"  said  she,  "at  least  you  want  a 
revolution  in  regard  to  your  women.  You  want 
a  great  change  there."  The  Pasha  laughed,  and 
said,  "  With  all  my  heart ;  oh,  yes  !  you  may 
reckon  on  me  for  that."  Miss  Spalding  asked 
who  his  mother  was.  He  said,  "A  Georgian." 
"  Did  she  never  try  to  make  a  bit  of  a  Christian 
of  you?"  asked  Miss  Spalding.  "Comment 
pouvait-elle  le  faire  ?  elle  n'avait  que  cinq  ans 
quand  elle  etait  enlevee  de  sa  patrie."  His 
Excellency  answered  all  this  pretty  impertinence, 
from  a  very  pretty  mouth,  with  the  utmost  good- 
humour. 

January  19. — I  went  to  Lord  Althorp,  and 
heard  from  him  that  his  efforts  to  second  my 
military  reductions  had  placed  him  in  direct 
opposition  with  the  authorities  at  the  Horse 
Guards.  Althorp  said  he  was  nothing  in  the 
Cabinet ;  he  had  neither  great  talent,  nor  ill- 
temper,  so  nobody  cared  for  him.  He  read  Lord 
Grey's  objections  to  my  proposed  Minute  of 
Council.  I  consented  to  make  any  alteration  of 
detail  which  did  not  compromise  the  principle 
of  non-interference  of  military  authorities  with 
the  civil  department  of  the  Secretary-at-War. 


CHAP.  XIV.  MEHEMET   ALI  275 

Before  I  left  Downing  Street,  Lord  Althorp  1833, 
said  it  was  very,  very  likely  that  I  should  have 
the  Irish  Secretaryship  offered  to  me.  I  re- 
marked that  of  the  two  offices  the  Irish  was  the 
less  detestable ;  hut  I  wished  not  to  leave  the 
War  Office  until  I  had  got  my  Pension  Warrant 
signed  hy  the  King,  and  had  prepared  my  official 
reforms. 

January  21. — I  dined  at  the  Asiatic  Society 
Cluh,  and  sat  next  to  Sir  John  Malcolm,  who 
amused  me  with  an  account  of  his  visit  to 
Mehemet  Ali,  at  Alexandria,  in  1831.  There  was 
then  a  mail-coach  running  between  Alexandria 
and  Grand  Cairo.  The  regiments  had  bands  of 
fifty  Arabs,  headed  by  a  Frank ;  and  these  played 
"God  save  the  King"  and  "  Rule  Britannia," 
at  Malcolm's  first  reception  by  the  Pasha.  Sir 
John  asked  them  to  play  "  Yive  Henri  Quatre," 
which,  in  those  days,  was  the  Erench  national 
air.  Mehemet  Ali  talked  of  the  Turks  with  great 
contempt.  He  had  two  enormous  ships-of-war, 
and  told  Sir  John  that  his  brother  Sir  Pulteney 
had  advised  him  not  to  build  ships  so  large. 
"  But,"  said  the  Pasha,  "  though  the  Admiral 
was  right  so  far  as  real  usefulness  goes,  yet  I 
am  right  in  order  to  impose  upon  those  stupid 
Turks,  who  are  frightened  at  anything  big." 

January  22. — The  next  day  I  saw  for  the  first 
time  and  was  introduced  to  Count  Pozzo  di 
Borgo,  another  person  who  figured  much  in  his 
time.  I  was  dining  with  the  Miss  Berry s ;  the 


276  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1833.     party  consisted  of  the  Lord  Chancellor,  Macaulay, 
Lady  Charlotte  Lindsay,  and  Lady  Carlisle. 

The  Count  spoke  English  easily  and  fluently, 
and  was  not  the  least  diplomatic  in  his  manner. 
He  said,  "  Everything  promised  well  for  the  peace 
of  Europe.  His  Emperor  was  convinced  of  the 
expediency  of  preserving  it." 

The  same  evening  Macaulay  took  me  aside, 
and  talked  very  seriously  of  the  difficulty  of  his 
own  position.  He  was,  he  felt,  placed  in  a 
different  position  from  others  ;  for  he  was  liahle 
to  he  taunted  with  sacrificing  his  opinions  for 
money.  I  told  him  that  the  charge  would  be 
made  against  all  of  us,  as  well  as  himself,  and 
with  equal  injustice  ;  and  that  it  was  our  duty  to 
do  nothing  until  Parliament  met,  and  Ministers 
told  us  what  they  were  going  to  do. 

EEOM  DIARY. 

January  25. — At  War  Office :  Stewart  of  the 
Treasury  with  me.  He  seems  to  understand  the 
difficulty  of  my  position,  and  he  told  me  that 
everybody  to  whom  he  had  spoken  on  the  subject 
understood  it  also,  and  knew  that  I  stayed  in 
office  only  from  patriotic  motives.  This  is  saying 
a  good  deal,  but  I  hope  it  is  true.  The  great 
object  in  keeping  up  our  forces  was  to  make  the 
Whigs  unpopular  with  the  country:  and  to  give 
the  Duke  of  Wellington  a  large  army  to  fall 
back  upon  when  he  returned  to  office. 

Stewart  said  if  I  carried  my  reforms  the  Secre- 


CHAP.  XIV.     "  THE   FRIEND   OF   THE   PEOPLE  "  277 

tary-at-War  would  be  a  great  state   officer,  and 
so  he  ought  to  he.     At  present,  he  is  nobody. 

January  26. — Lord  Dover  is  corresponding  with 
Lord  Hill  and  me,  begging  us  to  silence  or  muffle 
the  clock  at  the  Horse  Guards,  which  strikes  so 
loud  as  to  alarm  him,  his  nerves  being  shattered 
by  a  fever.  He  is  afraid  of  coming  back  to 
Whitehall.  This  comes,  as  Eitzroy  Somerset 
said  to  me,  of  being  cradled  in  luxury ;  as  if 
the  clock  could  be  stopped  for  him! 

January  26. — I  dined  at  the  Mansion  House 
with  Lord  Mayor  Laurie,  to  meet  Ministers.  I 
sat  between  Vice-Chancellor  Shadwell  and  Home, 
Attorney- General ;  the  latter  a  strange  man.  He 
told  me  Brougham  had  behaved  to  him  like  an 
insane  man;  would  not  let  him  know  that  he 
was  to  be  Attorney-General,  although  the  delay 
might  have  lost  Marylebone  for  him,  and  did 
in  fact  cost  him  £1,000  and  more.  He  also  said 
that  one  of  his  placards  was,  Home,  the  friend 
of  the  People.  Two  Irishmen  who  saw  it  said, 
"  By  Jasus,  a  pretty  friend  the  people  have  got 
at  last." 

January  27. — The  awful  Session  at  hand.  I 
dined  at  Lord  John  Russell's.  Mr.  Hallam  was 
of  the  party,  Prince  Lieven,  Lord  Melbourne, 
Count  Pozzo  di  Borgo,  Sir  James  Graham,  besides 
Lady  Hardy  and  her  two  daughters. 

Lord  Melbourne  spluttered,  spoke  loud,  and 
swilled  wine,  as  usual,  very  jovially.  Graham 
in  chastened  good  temper,  behaved  as  he  some- 


278  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1833.     times  does,  like  a  man  raised  beyond  his  natural 
level :  the  pump  is  dry  now  and  then. 

The  Count  was  the  most  agreeable  of  the  party ; 
and  he  told  us,  amongst  other  curious  stories, 
that  he  had  seen  a  letter  addressed  by  Napoleon, 
when  Brigadier  at  Toulon,  to  a  man  who  had 
refused  to  allow  his  two  daughters  to  marry  Berna- 
dotte  and  Joseph  Buonaparte.  He  consented  to 
one  of  the  marriages,  but  not  to  the  other,  say- 
ing, "It  is  enough  to  have  one  adventurer  in  a 
family."  Napoleon  was  angry,  and  wrote  to  the 
father  of  the  girls :  "  You  are  a  fool ;  give  both 
your  daughters.  You  think  I  am  nothing.  It 
is  true  I  am  nothing  now ;  but  I  shall  astonish 
the  world."  Madame  Bernadotte  had  shown  that 
letter  to  Pozzo  di  Borgo. 

Graham  talked  in  a  most  melancholy  style  of 
convulsions,  and  God  knows  what;  but  he  was 
as  neat  and  amiable  as  ever. 

EROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

January  29. — Parliament  met.  On  entering  the 
House  of  Commons  I  must  say  that  I  thought 
the  appearance  of  the  Members  was  very  credit- 
able to  the  first  Reformed  Parliament.  The 
Ministerial  benches  were  very  full,  and,  as  was 
customary,  the  Members  for  the  City  of  London 
sat  on  the  Treasury  Bench.  The  Conservatives, 
as  they  were  now  called,  sat  on  the  Opposition 
front  bench — Peel,  Chandos,  Goulburn,  Lord 
Mahon. 


ELECTION   OF   SPEAKER  279 

Hume,  by  a  trick,  got  possession  of  the  House, 
and  in  a  long,  rambling,  slipslop  speech,  pro- 
posed Littleton,  saying  at  the  same  time  that  he 
was  not  exactly  the  man  fit  to  be  the  Speaker. 
O'Connell  seconded  Littleton.  Lord  Morpeth  and 
Burdett  then  proposed  Manners  Sutton.  We 
divided  241  to  31  against  Littleton.  There  was 
no  division  against  Sutton,  although  there  was 
some  debate.  I  was  sitting  next  to  Cobbett, 
who  was  joking  out  loud  to  himself,  and  making 
running  comments  on  the  speeches.  When  the 
law  was  stated  as  to  the  Speaker's  continuance 
in  office,  he  called  out,  "  Then  he  is  like  the 
King,  and  never  dies." 

Sutton  was  handed  to  the  Chair  by  Lord  Mor- 
peth and  Sir  Erancis  Burdett,  and  he  thanked 
the  House  in  handsome  terms;  and  thus  ended 
Joseph  Hume's  first  attempt  to  head  and  lead  a 
party. 

EROM  DIARY. 

January  30. — Ellice  told  me  that  an  interview 
had  taken  place  between  Lord  Grey  and  Lord 
Durham.  Lord  Durham  accused  Lord  Grey  of 
wishing  to  get  rid  of  him;  and  so  they  went 
on.  Ellice  said  he  thought  the  best  thing  Lord 
Durham  could  do  was  to  resign  on  plea  of  ill- 
health.  Lord  Duncannon  took  a  different  view 
of  the  matter,  however,  and  thought  Lord  Durham 
ought  not  to  go  out. 

January   31. — Lord   Durham    has    written    the 


280  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

handsomest  possible  letter  to  Lord  Grey,  begging 
that  all  differences  might  be  forgotten,  promising 
cordial  support  in  Cabinet,  and  begging  a  fort- 
night's absence  to  recover  his  health.  In  short, 
a  very  conciliatory  epistle,  with  which  Lord  Grey 
was  much  pleased.  Now  Lord  Durham  stands 
pledged  to  support  Stanley's  Irish  measures. 
Thus  ends  this  squabble. 

This  evening  I  went  to  Lord  Holland's. 
Brougham,  and  Melbourne,  and  Lady  Carlisle 
were  there.  We  talked  about  Lord  Mulgrave's 
dissolution  of  the  Jamaica  Assembly,  and 
Brougham  read  Mulgrave's  speech  aloud.  We 
agreed  it  was  a  very  good  speech  for  the  pur- 
pose ;  but  Lord  Melbourne  rose,  and,  as  he 
was  going  away,  said,  "  By  G — d !  you  are  ruin- 
ing your  empire."  "Yes,"  said  Lady  Holland, 
"  and  there  is  the  chief  sinner,"  pointing  to 
Brougham. 

Poor  Lady  Holland  talked  to  me  privately 
about  her  health,  and  said  she  was  very  much 
afraid.  I  comforted  her  as  well  as  I  could. 

February  2. — Got  my  last  note  from  Lord  Hill 
on  Pension  Warrant  and  his  final  assent  to  this 
measure,  which,  prospectively,  is  a  very  great 
one.  I  shall  get  no  present  fame,  perhaps  much 
obloquy,  but  it  is  a  very  important  public  act, 
and  will  save  at  least  one-half  of  the  charge  for 
retired  soldiers. 

February  4. — This  morning  came  a  note  from 
Lord  Althorp :  "  The  Irish  Government  not  to  be 


CHAP.  XIV.          O'CONNELL   THE   AGITATOR  281 

changed,   so   all   hopes   of   immediately  relieving     1332. 
you  are  at  an  end." 

FROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

February  5. — I  went  to  the  House  of  Commons 
at  two  o'clock,  and  attended  the  Speaker  to  the 
House  of  Lords.  The  House  was  crowded  with 
women  in  feathers,  and  the  Commons  were  in 
great  force  at  the  Bar.  The  King  was  very  well 
received  out  of  doors,  and  apparently  in  good 
spirits.  He  laid  great  stress  on  those  sentences 
of  his  speech  which  alluded  to  Ireland. 

The  Address  in  the  Commons  was  moved  by 
Lord  Ormelie  (the  late  Marquis  of  Breadalbane), 
in  a  speech  which  I  thought  unnecessarily  vio- 
lent. He  called  Daniel  O'Connell  "a  bird  of 
prey."  The  "  Bird  of  Prey"  made  one  of  the 
most  furious  speeches  I  ever  heard  in  any 
assembly,  so  furious  indeed  that  Lord  John 
Russell  moved  to  have  some  of  his  words  taken 
down.  O'Connell  very  coolly  retracted  the 
words ;  but  then  went  on  in  the  same  tone,  not 
of  an  apologist,  but  an  accuser.  He  seemed 
over-excited,  and,  when  Lord  Grey  was  praised 
during  the  debate,  called  out,  "  No,  no !  blood, 
blood !  "  In  short,  he  was  the  great  Irish 
agitator,  not  the  Member  of  the  Imperial 
Parliament. 

'February  7. — I  waited  on  the  King  with  my 
Pension  Warrant.  H.M.  was  very  gracious,  and 
signed  it  both  at  the  top  and  bottom,  asking 

VOL.  iv  36 


282  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

me  if  there  was  any  harm  in  his  double  signa- 
ture. 

I  was  going  away,  when  he  said  he  could  not 
refrain  from  telling  me  how  much  he  approved 
my  conduct — "  public,  of  course,"  he  added — par- 
ticularly to  the  justice  done  to  his  Hanoverian 
subjects  (the  widows'  pensions),  for  which,  as  King 
of  Hanover,  he  begged  to  thank  me. 

He  asked  me  how  old  I  was ;  also  whether  I 
had  ever  had  the  gout.  He  gave  me  a  pre- 
scription for  it :  six  grains  of  ginger,  six  of 
carbonate  of  soda,  to  be  taken  before  dinner. 
H.M.  then  showed  me  his  wrist,  which  was  a 
little  swelled  with  rheumatism,  and  told  me  he 
had  never  been  so  well  in  his  life  as  since  he  had 
been  in  his  present  situation.  After  several  other 
inquiries  I  took  my  leave. 

Thus,  with  infinite  trouble,  was  accomplished 
the  most  serious  change  which  had  occurred  in 
War  Office  Warrants  since  the  days  of  Mr.  Wind- 
ham.  Before  leaving  Sir  Herbert  Taylor,  I  had 
some  talk  with  him  about  the  state  of  Ireland. 
He  asserted  that  there  was  no  doubt  but  that  the 
Repealers  were  for  the  separation  of  the  two 
islands,  and  had  calculated  seriously  on  the  rank 
they  might  occupy  in  the  scale  of  independent 
nations.  They  were  to  be  number  thirteen,  Sir 
Herbert  told  me.  I  wondered  at  the  modesty  of 
their  claims. 

The  adjourned  debate  began  this  evening.  Sir 
Robert  Peel  spoke  most  admirably,  with  good 


CHAP.  XIV.  IRISH    CHURCH    REFORM  283 

feeling,  as  well  as  good  sense,  and  great  eloquence. 
He  did  not  approve  the  foreign  policy  of  Ministers, 
nor  was  his  opinion  of  individuals  altered;  hut 
he  stood  by  the  Government  in  all  their  domestic 
arrangements.  He  owned  that  in  former  Parlia- 
ments he  had  acted  as  a  party  man,  taking  ad- 
vantage of  all  accidents  to  defeat  antagonists  ;  hut 
he  should  do  so  no  more.  He  should  support 
Government  in  all  measures  tending  to  peace  and 
order. 

He  was  much  cheered  throughout  all  his 
speech,  particularly  when  he  praised  Stanley. 
Indeed,  the  old  usages  of  the  unreformed  House, 
in  this  particular,  seemed  revived.  But  there 
did  not  appear  to  be  anything  like  a  decided 
Opposition  in  the  House,  except  the  Conservative 
minority. 

The  debate  was  again  adjourned,  but  the  next 
day  we  divided — 428  to  40  :  a  complete  defeat, 
which  seemed  to  stagger  the  Repealers. 

February  11. — Lord  Althorp  told  me  the  plan 
to  be  proposed  for  Irish  Church  Reform,  and 
said  he  expected  it  would  be  received  with 
acclamation.  Well  might  he  say  this !  Ten 
Bishops  were  to  be  abolished  ;  Church  cess  alto- 
gether given  up  ;  and  Church  revenues  revised 
and  redistributed. 

I  left  Downing  Street  quite  satisfied,  and  when 
Macaulay  asked  me  privately  about  the  Irish  plan, 
in  the  House,  I  replied,  "  You  may  depend  upon 
it,  it  will  do." 


284  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1833.  February  12. — At  five  o'clock,  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  I  heard  Al thorp  open  his  Church  of 
Ireland  Reform  scheme.  He  was  quite  right ;  it 
was  hailed  with  acclamation.  When  he  cut  down 
the  Eishops,  and  abolished  Church  cess,  there 
were  thunders  of  applause,  O'Connell  and  the 
Irish  particularly  loud.  We  were  all  in  great 
spirits :  Poulett  Thomson  and  Macaulay  more 
particularly  so.  O'Connell  expressed  his  grati- 
tude to  Ministers  publicly;  and  Shiel  told  me 
privately  that  the  plan  was  admirable.  Leave 
to  bring  in  the  Bill  was  given  about  half-past 
ten  o'clock. 

This  was  Reform  the  second ;  yet  some  of  our 
supporters  still  affected  to  think — or  did  really 
think — that  Government  did  not  go  on  fast 
enough  !  !  Stanley  made  an  admirable  speech,  in 
the  course  of  which  he  said  he  felt  no  anger 
against  any  man  who  had  crossed  him  in  the 
exercise  of  his  conscientious  duties ;  and  this  he 
said  in  a  way  and  with  an  air  that  carried  with 
them  the  conviction  that  he  spoke  as  he  felt. 
He  told  me  privately  that,  after  eight  months' 
battling,  he  had  gained  over  the  Primate  to  his 
plan.  He  was,  and  naturally  enough,  in  great 
spirits. 

ER.OM  DIARY. 

February  13. — Dined  at  Literary  Eund  Club. 
Lord  Mountnorris  was  in  the  chair.  I  knew  him 
some  twenty  years  ago  as  Lord  Valentia,  a  hand- 


CHAP.  XIV.      GARRISON    APPOINTMENTS    REDUCED      285 

some,  taking,  flourishing  person,  of  a  mixed 
reputation.  He  is  now  bent,  hairless,  and  tooth- 
less, scarcely  recognisable. 

Lytton  Bulwer,  the  novelist,  patriot,  and  M.P., 
sat  next  to  me.  He  is  not  an  agreeable  man,  but 
seems  to  have  some  sense,  though  with  a  dash 
of  affectation. 

February  14. — Hume  is  to  bring  on  a  motion 
about  abolishing  Naval  and  Military  sinecures. 
I  went  to  Lord  Althorp,  who  was  in  bad  spirits 
and  bad  humour,  and  confessed  we  were  in  danger. 
It  was  very  hard  upon  me,  who  had  recommended 
the  Governorship  of  Berwick  to  be  left  vacant,  to 
have  to  defend  these  grants.  But  Hume  brought 
on  his  motion,  and  things  looked  so  queer  that 
Althorp  said  the  worst  speech  I  could  make  would 
be  better  than  silence ;  so  I  rose  and  turned  the 
debate  into  a  constitutional  question,  as  to  whether 
the  King  or  the  House  of  Commons  should  dis- 
tribute great  military  rewards.  I  spoke  with 
great  effect,  and  was  loudly  cheered.  We  divided 
232  to  138 — a  great  escape.  Even  the  minority 
gave  a  cheer. 

February  15. — I  now  determined  to  reduce,  on 
vacancy,  several  of  the  Garrison  appointments. 
I  made  out  a  list  and  carried  them  to  Lord 
Althorp,  saying  if  the  reductions  did  not  take 
place  I  would  resign,  and  that  it  was  absurd  for 
a  Government  accomplishing  such  mighty  reforms 
to  split  on  such  wretched  trifles. 

February   16. — Lord   Althorp    says    that   Lord 


286  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1833.  Grey  has  consented  to  my  proposed  Garrison 
reductions,  and  he  will  speak  to  the  King  himself. 
I  called  on  Lord  Durham  with  Ellice,  and  there 
had  a  talk  on  the  state  of  the  Government, 
and  the  misfortune  of  Lord  Grey  not  listening 
to  good  advice,  nor  to  any  that  was  not  given 
hy  a  flatterer.  We  all  agreed  that  mischief 
would  ensue ;  and  that  as  for  Lord  Grey  think- 
ing he  would  be  let  off  hy  simply  quitting  office, 
it  was  ridiculous  ! ! 

February  21. — I  was  surprised  hy  a  memoran- 
dum sent  in  from  the  Horse  Guards  appointing 
some  Major-General  to  the  Lieutenant-Governor- 
ship of  Berwick,  and  signed  by  the  King,  the  very 
appointment  which  I  had  given  directions  to  be 
left  vacant.  The  paper  threw  me  into  a  fluster  ;  I 
considered  the  step  as  a  premeditated  outrage  on 
the  part  of  Lord  Hill.  Lord  Althorp  consulted 
Lord  Grey  and  found  he  knew  of  the  appointment. 
This  was  still  more  astounding.  We  both  agreed 
it  was  a  most  unaccountable  infatuation. 

Lord  Althorp  said  that  Lord  Grey  was  getting 
more  intractable  than  ever,  he  had  sworn  and  was 
in  a  towering  passion  ;  said  his  friends  would  not 
back  him,  and  made  obstacles  of  trumpery  matters, 
He  agreed,  however,  to  suspend  the  gazetting, 
which,  to  be  sure,  he  could  not  help,  for  I  would 
not  sign  it.  He  sent  several  letters  for  Althorp 
to  read  to  me,  all  conveying  H.M.'s  sentiments  on 
passing  politics,  and  on  the  garrison  vote  and  the 
two  Eitzclarence  appointments.  I  never  heard 


CHAP.  XIV.  MINISTERIAL   TROUBLES  287 

such  rigmarole,  inconclusive  nonsense.  Not  one 
word  said  about  the  House  of  Commons,  but 
merely  a  discussion  on  the  abstract  right  of  the 
King  to  name  to  these  two  places.  It  made  me 
despair  of  any  good  result  to  find  such  blindness 
at  headquarters. 

I  told  Lord  Althorp  it  would  be  better  for  me 
to  retire.  I  was  a  source  of  nothing  but  uneasi- 
ness to  him  and  the  Government.  But  he  said 
that  I  gave  him  strength  and  enabled  him  to  fight 
up  against  Lord  Grey. 

He  told  me  that  Lord  Grey  was  always  resolved 
in  the  Duke  of  Wellington's  time  not  to  come 
in,  of  which  there  was  some  talk,  without  Reform 
of  Parliament,  and  that  E/eform  was  to  be  a  good 
and  not  a  half  measure.  This  bargain  he  made 
with  the  King  when  he  accepted  office.  Lord 
Althorp  told  me  it  was  but  due  to  Lord  Grey 
to  say  this,  but  that  it  was  true  Lord  Grey  had 
since  been  too  delicate  in  his  intercourse  with  the 
King,  and  acted  in  perfect  ignorance  of  the  House 
of  Commons. 

Lord  Hill  is  preparing  resistance  to  my  Minute 
of  Council,  but  Sir  W.  Gordon  has  advised  him 
to  yield  with  a  good  grace,  as  the  arrangement 
is  inevitable.  I  hope  it  is  so.  The  turmoil, 
intrigue,  and  perpetual  discord  between  the 
Horse  Guards  and  War  Office  are  incredible. 
Sir  James  Kempt,  to  whom  I  hinted  what  was 
passing,  would  not  believe  me.  Now,  however, 
the  plot  thickens,  and  one  of  us  must  give  way. 


288  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1833.  A  division  took  place  in  the  House  of  Commons 
on  a  motion  of  Whittle  Harvey's  for  directing 
the  Speaker  to  give  correct  lists  of  majority  and 
minority.  Lord  Althorp,  in  the  morning,  had 
said,  that  for  a  wise  man  like  Harvey  he  thought 
it  the  most  foolish  motion  he  had  ever  heard  of, 
and  yet  92  Members  voted  for  it  and  only  142 
against  it.  This  disconcerted  some  of  us  on  the 
Treasury  Bench.  Home  said  it  seemed  the  House 
of  Commons  would  vote  anything  to  catch  a  little 
popularity,  even  if  it  turned  the  Ministers  out. 
I  owned  that  I  did  not  like  the  complexion  of 
Parliament,  for  although  in  great  questions  the 
new  Members  seemed  to  feel  correctly,  yet  on 
small  points,  and  more  especially  on  money 
matters,  no  Government  would  be  sure  of  a 
majority  again. 

February  22. — At  King's  Levee,  which  was  very 
full.  The  Swedish  Minister  told  me  that  their 
army  was  not  now  punished  by  flogging.  He  had 
been  Minister  of  War  and  had  opposed  the 
abolition  of  striking  soldiers,  but  the  result  had 
proved  he  was  wrong,  for  the  Swedish  army  had 
gained  in  discipline  since  the  abolition. 

In  the  House  of  Commons  to-day  Sir  Henry 
Hardinge  announced  to  me  his  determined  hostility 
to  my  suspension  of  his  tenpenny  pension  and  to 
my  new  warrant.  This  is  pleasant !  What  with 
Hume,  Davies,  and  Hardinge  in  Parliament — and 
Lord  Hill,  Lord  Grey,  and  the  King  out  of  Parlia- 
ment— I  shall  have  opposition  enough ;  to  say 


CHAP.  XIV.     SINECURES   AND   FALSE   ECONOMY  289 

nothing  of  my  own  constituents,  who  may  break  1833. 
my  head.  However,  I  shall  go  right  onwards, 
notwithstanding.  No  one  will  ever  know  my 
difficulties,  but  all  will  perceive  my  inadequacy 
for  an  office  of  great  apparent  power,  but  no  real 
authority. 

February  23. — I  went  to  the  King,  who  received 
me  rather  abruptly.  He  opened  the  Red  Book 
and  desired  me  to  tell  him  which  were  sinecures 
and  which  were  not.  I  did  so,  but  nearly  all 
were  sinecures.  He  told  me  the  Round  Tower 
of  Windsor  was  in  the  personal  gift  of  the 
sovereign,  and  that  the  Deputy-Lieutenancy  of  the 
Tower  was  also  supposed  to  be  peculiarly  the  King's. 
He  told  me  that  Lord  Thurlow  had  said  to  him, 

"  God  d it,  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  any 

man  in  Parliament  from  making  any  motion.     He 
may  propose  to  take  the   crown   off  the   King's 

head.       It   would  be    d absurd   and    d 

stupid,  but  I  know  no  punishment  for  it." 

The  King  said  he  hated  sinecures,  but  he  hated 
false  economy.  He  said  he  had  given  the  Round 
Tower  of  Windsor  and  the  Deputy-Lieutenancy 
to  his  two  sons,  because  they  were  not  in  the 
nature  of  garrison  appointments,  but  peculiarly 
his  own. 

I  am  convinced,  unless  one  of  the  Pitzclarence 
appointments  is  given  up,  both  will  be  negatived 
in  the  House  of  Commons.  It  seems  to  be  one  of 
King  William's  unhappy  mistakes,  handed  down 
to  him  perhaps  from  his  immediate  predecessors, 

VOL.  iv  37 


290  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

that  there  are  certain  places  exclusively  in  his 
personal  gift,  and  nothing  can  persuade  him  to 
the  contrary. 

Dining  at  the  S.S.B.S.,  I  heard  that  Lord  E. 
Eitzclarence  had  given  up  his  place. 

February  25. — I  received  a  note  from  Lord 
Grey  telling  me  I  must  not  leave  out  the  two 
appointments,  Berwick  and  Kinsale,  in  my  esti- 
mate, without  explaining  why  the  omission  was 
made  to  the  King,  and  calling  the  saving 
trumpery.  Althorp  wrote  a  note  telling  me  to 
take  my  own  course.  This  put  me  in  a  fury.  I 
had  signed  the  Estimates  leaving  out  the  appoint- 
ments at  the  express  order  of  Lord  Althorp  as 
settled  by  the  Cabinet,  and  here  comes  Lord  Grey 
throwing  the  whole  business  on  me  to  squabble 
about  with  the  King.  Nothing  could  be  more 
unfair,  but  what  could  I  do,  the  whole  arrange- 
ment being  made  and  the  Estimates  signed  ! 

February  26. — I  went  to  the  King  and  showed 
him  my  list  of  garrison  appointments.  The  first 
thing  he  told  me  was  that  he  had  filled  up  Berwick 
and  Kinsale  that  morning.  I  said  nothing,  and 
we  went  over  the  list  of  garrisons. 

The  King  then  sent  for  Sir  Herbert  Taylor,  and 
desired  him  to  state  the  position  of  English  officers 
and  the  justice  of  upholding  them.  I  said  I  was 
not  afraid  of  the  reasoning  of  my  Parliamentary 
opponents  but  only  afraid  of  their  votes,  and  I 
expressed  my  fear  that  some  of  the  garrison 
appointments  would  be  negatived.  The  King 


CHAP.  XIV.  ECONOMIES   REALISED  291 

said  he  was  aware  of  the  feeling,  and  if  it  hecame  1833. 
general  the  Government  could  not  stand ;  that 
he  thought  a  change  of  Government  in  the  present 
state  of  affairs  the  worst  thing  that  could  happen. 
He  said  he  had  mixed  a  great  deal  with  the  world 
and  endeavoured  to  find  out  facts,  and  trusted  he 
was  as  well  acquainted  with  them  as  could  he 
expected  in  his  position.  He  had  done  all  he 
could  to  economise  the  public  money,  hut  he  de- 
tested paltry  savings.  He  spoke  of  Hume  as  a 
had  man,  and  alluded  to  his  objection  to  the 
Eitzclarence  appointments  as  unhandsome. 

We  had  a  good  deal  more  talk  without  my 
advancing  a  step  as  to  the  appointments,  and  I 
went  away  very  civilly  but  very  unsatisfactorily 
treated. 

I  stated  to  Sir  Herbert  Taylor,  as  I  was  leaving, 
the  gross  impolicy  of  filling  up  the  appointments, 
and  when  I  told  him  I  had  the  orders  of  Lord 
Althorp  and  the  Cabinet  not  to  fill  them,  he 
stared  and  said  Lord  Grey  had  not  said  a  word 
to  the  King  on  the  subject,  and  offered  to  go 
back  and  convey  my  sentiments  to  H.M.  He 
went  to  the  King,  and  returned  shortly  saying 
I  knew  H.M.'s  inclinations,  but  I  might  use  my 
own  discretion,  either  insert  the  appointments  in 
the  Estimates  or  not.  I  thought  this  treatment 
handsome,  and  I  eventually  decided  to  estimate 
the  sums  and  put  "  Vacant "  to  the  appoint- 
ments. 

This   evening   I    laid    my   Estimates   and    my 


292  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1833.     new   Warrant   on    the    table    of    the    House    of 
Commons. 

FROM  BOOK,  "RECOLLECTIONS." 

February  27. — The  debate  in  the  House  on  the 
Irish  Coercion  Bill  had  not  come  on  until  late. 
It  went  on  languidly  till  ten  o'clock,  when 
Stanley  rose,  and  made  one  of  the  most  impres- 
sive speeches  ever  heard  in  Parliament.  His 
closing  invective  against  O'Connell's  late  be- 
haviour moved  nearly  the  whole  House  from 
the  benches ;  and,  when  he  sat  down,  cries  were 
heard  from  all  sides  for  O'Connell  to  explain. 
He  did  make  the  attempt,  and  shuffled  out 
a  shabby,  but  impudent,  explanation  of  his 
"  scoundrel  "  speech,  which  drew  on  him  volleys 
of  "  Ahs  "  and  "  Ohs,"  and  every  token  of  disgust 
and  contempt.  I  never  saw  a  man  so  completely 
put  down. 

March  1. — The  debate  on  the  Coercion  Bill  still 
going  on.  I  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  how 
completely  an  Irish  Member  acted  under  some 
sort  of  compulsion ;  for  Henry  Grattan,  showing 
me  a  petition  to  the  King  to  dismiss  his  Ministers, 
said,  "  I  wish  to  heaven  you  would  hang  or  shoot 
O'Connell,  and  pass  some  Algerine  Act  if  you 
like,  but  not  this  Bill."  The  same  gentleman, 
on  the  same  evening,  made  the  most  furious  of  all 
the  furious  speeches  made  against  us  and  our 
Irish  measures.  But  those  who  remember  him 
will  recollect  that,  when  on  his  legs,  he  seemed 


CHAP.  XIV.  IRISH    COERCION   BILL  293 

to  have  lost  all  self-control,  and  rather  raved  than 
talked. 

Peel  gave  one  of  his  best  speeches  for  two 
hours.  Except  a  sneer  at  Reform  it  was  all 
handsome  and  candid,  and  powerfully  in  favour 
of  the  measure.  His  eloquence  was  not  quite  so 
good  as  his  argument.  He  got  on  the  back  of 
a  river  of  blood,  and  could  not  pass  it  for  some 
time.  Stanley  said  to  me,  "  He'll  never  get  over 
that  passage."  His  conclusion  was  most  power- 
ful. The  debate  was  continued  until  March  4, 
when  we  divided  466  to  89,  a  decisive  majority, 
but  only  for  the  first  reading  of  our  Bill. 

EROM  DIARY. 

March  4. — A  disturbance  in  the  Guards  in 
consequence  of  some  confusion  respecting  the 
suspension  of  the  temporary  pension  and  my 
new  Warrant.  The  Adjutant- General  showed  me 
a  police  report  to  that  eifect. 

EROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

March  8. — Hume  opposed  the  order  of  the  day 
for  the  second  reading  of  the  Irish  Coercion  Bill. 
He  made  a  violent,  clumsy  speech,  recommended 
resistance  to  the  measure,  and  denied  that  the 
wishes  and  opinions  of  the  People  were  to  be 
collected  in  that  House.  In  the  course  of  this 
debate  my  friend  Henry  Warburton  was  thrown 
so  much  off  his  guard,  that  he  announced  a 
message  from  Mr.  Hume,  who  had  left  the  House. 


294  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1833.  The  shouts  of  laughter  with  which  this  message 
was  received  enlivened  a  dull  debate. 

The  debate  closed  on  March  12,  and  the 
majority,  curiously  enough,  amounted  to  the 
same  numbers  as  before,  466  to  89. 

March  13. — I  heard  to-day  that  Lord  Durham 
had  resigned  the  Privy  Seal,  and  was  to  be  made 
an  Earl.  His  resignation  was  attributed  to  ill- 
health  and  family  afflictions. 

March  14. — Ministers  received  a  check  in  the 
Commons  this  evening,  for  Charles  Wynn  would 
not  allow  them  to  read  their  Irish  Church  Reform 
Bill  a  second  time,  suggesting  that  it  was  a  Money 
Bill  and  must  be  referred  previously  to  a  Com- 
mittee. I  found  my  masters  very  much  discomfited. 
Lord  Althorp  said  to  me,  (( Well,  master,  we  have 
put  our  foot  in  it  this  time  " ;  and  Stanley  said, 
"  This  is  a  blunder." 

EEOM  DIARY. 

March  15. — I  went  to  a  meeting  about  the 
repeal  of  House  and  Window  Tax,  which  I  pro- 
mised to  support,  and  which  I  must  support, 
let  what  will  come  of  it.  Indeed,  I  think  this 
will  be  a  good  occasion  for  resigning  my  odious 
office.  I  must  vote  for  repeal  on  the  22nd.  I 
have  promised  so  to  do  repeatedly,  and  I  do  not 
wish  to  do  otherwise,  foolish  as  it  would  appear 
to  leave  the  Government  for  such  a  cause;  but  the 
real  difficulties  of  my  position  make  this  fair  pre- 
text such  as  it  is  expedient  to  avail  myself  of. 


CHAP.  XIV.  A   DEADLOCK  295 

Here  is  the  Mutiny  Bill,  which  I  have  not  got    1833. 
ready  and  which  I  shall  not  be  able  to  carry  as  I 
wish,  to  add  to  my  difficulties.     I  have  had  a  very 
civil   letter  from  the  King,  but  what  can  that 
do  for  me  ? 

PROM  BOOK,  "  BECOLLECTIONS." 

March  23. — I  wrote  to  Lord  Hill,  stating  my 
intention  of  abolishing  regimental  flogging,  except 
in  cases  of  mutiny  under  arms ;  and  I  transmitted 
at  the  same  time  an  excellent  letter  written  to 
me  by  Bobert  Grant  on  the  same  subject.  I  felt 
that  this  was  bringing  our  differences  to  a  crisis ; 
and  that,  if  Lord  Hill  played  his  cards  well,  he 
would  get  rid  of  me — if  I  was  supported  by  the 
Cabinet,  I  should  get  rid  of  him.  That  we  could 
not  both  of  us  retain  our  present  positions  was 
quite  clear. 

March  25. — I  went  to  Lord  Althorp  and  told 
him  Lord  Hill  would  not  consent  to  my  proposal 
about  regimental  flogging.  He  was  more  per- 
plexed than  I  had  ever  before  seen  him.  He  said, 
"  Ay,  I  now  do  believe  we  are  at  a  deadlock.  I 
can  go  on  no  longer." 

He  then  told  me  that,  to  all  appearance,  the 
Cabinet  was  on  the  eve  of  dissolution.  Stanley 
would  not  stay  at  the  Irish  Office ;  Goderich 
would  not  move  from  the  Colonial  Office.  He 
would  not  move  the  West  India  question  if 
Goderich  stayed  at  the  Colonial  Office ;  and  the 
Government  could  not  go  on  if  Stanley  went  out. 


296  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

I  asked  why  all  this  was  to  take  place,  merely 
because  Goderich  was  not  told  to  move.  It 
seemed  that  Lord  Grey  did  not  like  to  make  this 
proposal  to  Goderich — an  amiable  delicacy,  but  a 
weakness  where  such  vast  interests  were  at  stake. 
The  fact  was  that  Lord  Grey  was  tired  with  his 
official  life.  Lady  Mary  Wood  told  me  her  father 
had  resolved  not  to  continue  at  the  head  of  affairs 
after  the  next  July. 

March  26. — I  had  a  letter  from  Lord  Hill 
refusing  to  accede  to  my  proposal.  I  went  at 
once  to  Lord  Althorp,  left  the  letter  and  Robert 
Grant's  letter  with  him,  and  told  him  to  inform 
Lord  Grey  I  could  not  present  the  Mutiny  Bill 
unless  the  clause  proposed  by  me  was  inserted  in 
it.  Lord  Althorp  said,  "Very  well,  I  will  send 
a  box  to  Lord  Grey  directly."  I  returned  to  the 
War  Office,  more  tranquil ;  "  certus  eundi,"  as  I 
thought. 

March  27. — I  prepared  for  bringing  on  the 
Estimates,  and  for  announcing  that  I  was  no 
longer  Secretary-at-War.  I  went  to  the  House, 
but  had  not  been  there  five  minutes  when  Graham 
came  in,  and,  seating  himself  next  to  me,  said, 
"Je  vous  salue,  mon  ami."  I  asked  him  what 
for.  "It  is  all  settled,"  he  said:  "no  Estimates 
to-night — no  Mutiny  Bill — all  is  right.  Stanley 
and  you  are  where  you  ought  to  be." 

At  House  of  Commons.  Lord  Althorp  beckoned 
to  me,  and  we  retired  behind  "Solomon's  Porch." 
He  said  that  Lord  Grey  had  desired  him  to 


CHAP.  XIV.     THE    "  DETESTABLE   WAR   OFFICE  "         297 

apologise  to  me  for  not  communicating  with  me     1833. 
himself,  and  had  told  him  to  offer  me  the  Irish 
Office.     "I  take  it,"  I  said,  "if  it  were  only  to 
get  rid  of  that  detestable  War  Office." 

We  tried  all  we  could  to  put  off  Estimates, 
but  there  was  a  general  cry  for  them,  so  at 
half -past  eleven  o'clock  I  was  obliged  to  bring 
on  the  vote  for  the  number  of  men,  which  after 
some  discussion  was  carried  unanimously  at  one 
o'clock. 

March  28. — I  had  a  long  walk  in  St.  James's 
Park  with  Stanley,  who  gave  me  a  sketch  of  the 
different  official  people  with  whom  I  should  have 
to  deal  in  Ireland.  He  spoke  unequivocally  well 
of  only  one  man — Blackburn,  the  Attorney- 
General.  He  gave  me  the  character  of  Plunket, 
and  the  Lord-Lieutenant,  with  very  little  reserve. 
The  first  was  timid  and  wavering ;  the  other  a 
good  man,  but  vain  and  easily  flattered.  He  told 
me  his  rule  had  been  "  to  hear  everything,  say 
nothing,  and  believe  nothing." 

Stanley's  whole  behaviour  was  most  friendly; 
and  nothing  that  has  occurred  since  those  long- 
passed  days  has  obliterated  the  grateful  remem- 
brance of  his  assistance. 

March  29. — I  had  an  amusing  conversation  with 
Lord  Durham,  who  told  me  that  Lord  Goderich 
had  struggled  violently  before  quitting  his  Colonial 
Department.  At  last  the  King  was  prevailed 
upon  to  ask  him.  When  he  assented,  Lord  Grey 
came  in  haste  to  Lord  Durham,  to  get  the  Privy 

VOL.  iv  38 


298  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1833.  Seal  at  once,  for  fear  of  some  change  of  purpose ; 
and  the  Seal  was  crammed  into  the  pocket  of 
Goderich,  who  complained  bitterly  to  Lord 
Durham,  saying,  "  Why  should  Stanley  have  my 
place  ?  why  not  Melbourne's  ?  "  He  was  somewhat 
mollified  when  he  heard  there  was  a  salary 
attached  to  it,  and  he  then  asked  if  there  was 
any  patronage  belonging  to  it.  He  had  since 
been  asking  Lord  Grey  for  several  things;  but, 
as  Lord  Durham  said,  he  ought  to  have  done 
this  before  he  gave  up  the  seals.  I  laughed 
heartily  at  the  story,  which  I  tell  as  it  was 
told  to  me. 

Edward  Ellice  came  to  me,  and  showed  me  a 
letter  from  Lord  Grey,  pressing  him  to  take  the 
War  Office.  I  urged  him  strongly  to  give  an 
affirmative  answer.  Ellice  was  much  more  fit  for 
this  office  than  I  could  pretend  to  be.  He  knew 
how  to  manage  men,  which  I  never  could  do ; 
and  I  was  persuaded  that  his  intercourse  with  the 
military  authorities  would  be  more  smooth  than 
mine  had  been,  or  ever  could  be;  and  to  this 
must  be  added  his  near  connection  with  Lord 
Grey,  and  the  influence  he  possessed  over  that 
most  influential  statesman,. 

April  3. — I  went  to  the  King's  Levee.  I  found 
His  Majesty  not  in  the  pleasantest  of  humours, 
and  rather  sleepy.  However,  he  recovered  his 
usual  good-humour,  and  began  to  talk  about 
Ireland.  He  asked  me  if  I  had  ever  been  there. 
He  told  me  there  were  two  parties  there — Re- 


CHAP.  XIV.       RE-ELECTED    FOR   WESTMINSTER  299 

pealers  and  Saints — and  he  liked  the  latter  as  little     1833. 
as  the  former. 

I  told  His  Majesty  that  I  wished  to  express 
my  acknowledgments  for  my  new  appointment. 

He  said,  "Oh,  as  for  that ,"  as  much  as  to 

say,  "  You  owe  that  to  my  advisers."  I  bowed 
away  as  quickly  as  I  could,  and  learnt  from 
Lord  Althorp  afterwards  that  Lord  Grey  had 
found  the  King  in  a  had  temper. 

Poor  Lord  Goderich,  when  he  came  out  of  the 
closet,  after  resigning  the  seals,  looked  half  in  tears. 

I  was  re-elected  for  Westminster  without  oppo- 
sition. 

April  6. — I  removed  to  the  Irish  Office  in 
Queen  Street.  I  had  endeavoured  to  do  my  duty 
as  Secretary-at-War,  and  had  attempted  several 
reforms,  which  would  have  been  successful  had 
I  been  seconded  by  the  Government.  My  Pension 
Warrant,  if  not  superseded  by  my  successors, 
would  produce  a  great  national  saving  when  it 
came  into  operation.  All  the  arrears  which  en- 
cumbered the  office  when  I  came  into  it  had 
been  cleared  away,  and  the  establishment  had 
been  reduced  from  seventy-three  to  sixty-two 
clerks,  the  number  fixed  by  Sir  Henry  Hardinge. 
Considering  that  it  was  my  first  experiment  of 
official  life — for  I  never  had  held  any  subordinate 
office — I  was  pleased  to  think  that  I  had  not 
disappointed  my  friends.  I  had  many  tokens  of 
regard  from  those  who  served  under  me,  and  even 
the  Heads  of  Departments  on  the  other  side  of 


300  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1833.  the  archway  wrote  and  said  several  civil  things 
on  my  retirement.  Lord  Hill  himself,  good  man, 
was  very  friendly. 

I  found  a  great  change  in  the  establishment 
in  Queen  Street,  which  consisted  of  only  two 
clerks  and  three  messengers.  Having  been  so 
admirably  seconded  and  assisted  at  the  War  Office, 
I  felt  rather  forlorn  in  my  new  abode ;  but 
Stanley's  private  secretary  promised  to  help  me, 
and  Mr.  O'Hanlan,  the  counsel  attached  to  the 
office,  came  to  instruct  me. 

EBOM  DIARY. 

April  12. — My  first  duty  at  the  I.O.  was  to 
correspond  with  Lord  Anglesey  about  proclaiming 
Kilkenny  and  suppressing  the  Volunteers.  He 
was  for  doing  both  at  once,  but  Lord  Grey  and 
myself  wrote  to  him  to  wait  for  some  act  of  the 
Volunteers  before  issuing  the  proclamation.  As 
for  Kilkenny,  it  must  be  proclaimed  at  once. 

April  16. — I  took  my  seat  at  the  morning 
sitting  of  the  House  of  Commons.  The  Speaker, 
shaking  hands,  said  to  me,  "  Out  of  the  frying- 
pan  into  the  fire." 

April  22. — Attwood  of  Birmingham  brought 
forward  his  motion  on  currency  as  connected  with 
national  distress.  He  was  violent  and  virulent. 
Lord  Althorp  answered  him  admirably,  and 
moved  that  a  change  would  be  inexpedient  and 
dangerous. 

April   23. — The   debate   on    currency   was    re- 


CHAP.  XIV.  DEBATE   ON   CURRENCY  301 

sumed.  Baring  spoke  for  us,  but  as  usual  the  1833. 
last  part  of  his  speech  contradicted  the  first, 
and  seemed  to  countenance  paper  money.  Peel 
got  up  and  attacked  Baring  on  this,  and  made 
a  nohle  defence  of  his  Bill  of  1819.  The 
debate  and  feeling  of  the  House  evidently  with 
us,  although  this  motion  was  announced  as 
being  likely  to  shake  if  not  destroy  the  Ad- 
ministration. 

April  24. — The  debate  was  closed  by  M.  Att- 
wood  in  a  long  speech ;  we  were  331  to  139  in 
favour  of  Lord  Althorp's  amendment.  We  next 
had  a  division  on  distress  of  the  country,  which 
Attwood  tried  to  tack  to  Lord  Althorp's  amend- 
ment, but  we  were  still  279  to  155 ;  then  came 
Lord  Althorp's  amendment.  George  Sinclair 
divided  the  House  on  this,  and  we  had  304  to  49, 
and  so  ended  this  much  dreaded  discussion.  Peel 
was  much  pleased,  and  said  in  my  hearing, 
"  Worthy  of  a  son  of  Sir  John  Sinclair." 

April  26. — I  was  so  much  knocked  up  by 
business  at  the  office,  and  the  long  nights  in 
Parliament  that  I  did  not  attend  the  House  of 
Commons  this  evening.  I  sent  to  inquire  what 
was  going  on,  and  the  answer  came  back,  "  Malt, 
malt,  malt,"  Sir  W.  Ingleby's  motion  for  reduction 
of  half  the  Malt  Tax. 

April  27. — Ministers  were  beaten  last  night, 
and  were  in  a  minority  of  10 ;  and  I  thought  they 
must  surely  go  out. 

I  went  to  Althorp,  who  laughed  and  said,  "  Well, 


302  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1833.  Hobhouse,  this  time  we  have  escaped ;  we  are  out 
now."  He  seemed  quite  happy,  and  told  me  that 
he  had  not  been  so  well  for  a  long  time. 

Those  of  our  party  who  had  voted  against  us 
were  not  aware  of  the  consequences  of  their  vote, 
and,  when  the  majority  were  cheering  at  the 
announcement  of  the  numbers,  Hume  said,  "Ah, 
if  you  knew  what  you  have  done,  you  would  not 
cheer." 

Althorp  had  received  a  letter  from  the  King 
that  morning  which  contained  these  words  :  "  His 
Majesty  deeply  regrets  the  result  of  last  night's 
debate.  He  most  anxiously  desires  that  his  con- 
fidential servants  will  surmount  their  embarrass- 
ments in  the  Cabinet  of  this  day." 

We  had  a  long  talk  of  who  was  to  come  in. 
Althorp  thought  Peel,  and  perhaps  some  of  the 
present  set.  He  told  me  in  strict  confidence  that 
he  suspected  Brougham  intended  to  be  Prime 
Minister,  for  that  when  Lord  Grey  and  others 
wanted  to  make  him  (Althorp)  Eirst  Lord  of  the 
Treasury,  Brougham  opposed  it  strongly;  hence 
his  plan  to  get  rid  of  the  judicial  functions  of 
the  Lord  Chancellor. 

J.  Hume  has  written  to  Ellice  begging  Ministers 
not  to  resign,  assuring  him  that  he  and  some 
twenty  others  of  the  best  supporters  of  Government 
had  voted  against  them  last  night,  but  not  to  turn 
them  out.  They  had  nothing  to  do  but  withdraw 
their  Estimates,  and  make  smaller  ones  !  ! !  This 
is  incredible,  but  true.  Lord  Grey  does  not  think 


CHAP.  XIV.     A   GOOD   WOBD   FOR   O'CONNELL  303 

resignation  necessary,   but  Althorp   persists  it  is     1833. 
indispensable. 

I  went  to  Brooks's,  and  found  all  in  an  uproar ; 
those  who  had  voted  against  us  in  despair,  and 
insisting  we  ought  not  to  go  out.  They  said  that 
Peel  and  his  friends  were  of  the  same  opinion ;  it 
would  be  base  desertion,  etc.  We  had  a  great 
deal  of  fun,  but  some  of  them  were  serious 
enough  and  talked  of  revolution  and  such  matters. 
They  swore  we  should  not  go  out.  I  told  them 
all  their  swearing  would  not  swear  away  the 
resolution  for  taking  off  half  the  Malt  Tax,  and 
out  we  must  go. 

This  day  a  large  party,  chiefly  Irish  Members 
of  Parliament,  dined  with  me  ;  amongst  them  was 
Lord  Duncannon,  who  told  me  something  much  to 
the  credit  of  O'Connell.  When  the  Grey  Govern- 
ment was  formed,  he  was  authorised  by  Lord 
Anglesey  to  assure  O'Connell  that  neither  Doherty 
nor  Blackburn  should  be  promoted ;  yet,  soon 
afterwards,  the  first  of  these  gentlemen  was  made 
Chief  Justice  of  the  Common  Pleas,  and  the  other 
Attorney-General.  O'Connell  had  never  com- 
plained of  this,  nor  even  told  the  story  ;  and  Lord 
Duncannon,  who  would  have  been  injured  by  it, 
was  sensibly  affected  by  that  unexpected  delicacy 
on  the  part  of  the  great  agitator.  Indeed,  he 
never  abandoned  that  extraordinary  man  ;  nor  did 
O'Connell  ever  speak  in  public,  nor,  so  far  as  I 
know,  in  private,  unfavourably  of  Lord  Dun- 
cannon. 


304  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

April  28. — I  went  to  the  Lord  Chancellor  and 
asked  him  whether  I  was  to  put  off  the  Irish 
Grand  Jury  Committee.  He  stared  and  looked 
red  in  the  face,  as  if  hesitating  to  tell  me.  I  then 
said  that  Lord  Althorp  had  promised  to  let  me 
know  whether  men  remained  in  office  or  not. 
Brougham  said,  "  Oh,  to  he  sure,  we  must  move 
some  milk-and-water  resolution  to  make  the  House 
repent  of  their  Friday's  folly  ;  it  would  be  ahsurd 
to  go  out  on  such  a  question." 

He  then  said  that  the  breaking  up  of  this 
Administration  would  probably  bring  about  a 
patchwork  Government,  of  which  Peel  would  be 
a  part,  and  he  added  this  would  be  a  sad  thing.  I 
thought  his  comment  was  uttered  more  in  the  tone 
of  inquiry  than  of  reprobation.  My  suspicion  is 
that  he  wants  some  such  condition,  and  will  bring 
it  about. 

April  29. — At  the  House  of  Commons,  I  sat 
next  to  Lord  Althorp,  who  was  fidgety,  and 
actually  fretful,  which  I  never  before  saw  him 
to  be  in  my  life.  A  little  after  five  he  rose, 
and  said  that  he  should  move  an  amendment 
on  Sir  John  Key's  motion  for  repeal  of  the 
House  and  Window  duties.  The  amendment 
stated  that  the  repeal  of  half  the  Malt  Tax 
and  the  whole  of  the  House  and  Window  duties 
would  occasion  a  large  deficiency  in  the  revenue, 
which  could  only  be  supplied  by  a  property 
tax,  and  that  a  property  tax  was  at  that  time 
inexpedient. 


CHAP.  XIV.  RESIGNATION   OF   OFFICE  305 

As  Peel  passed  the  Treasury  Bench,  I  heard  isss. 
him  say  to  Althorp,  "Your  resolution  will  do." 
I  was  afterwards  told  by  Althorp  that  this  was 
a  little  hit  of  acting  on  the  part  of  Sir  Robert, 
for  the  resolution  had  been  communicated  to 
Peel  on  Sunday,  and  he  had  approved  of  it.  He 
was  not  taken  by  surprise,  but  I  was,  and, 
turning  to  Lord  John  Russell,  I  said,  I  did  not 
know  what  to  do ;  I  could  not  vote  against  the 
repeal  of  the  House  and  "Window  duties.  "  Can't 
you  ?  "  said  Hussell ;  "  then  stay  away  ;  it  would 
be  very  awkward  for  you  to  vote  against  us, 
when  so  many  of  our  friends  are  about  to  retract 
their  Friday's  vote  in  order  to  support  us."  I 
said  nothing ;  but,  going  to  Poulett  Thomson, 
told  him  that  I  should  resign  my  office. 

In  the  course  of  the  evening  I  had  a  letter 
from  Graham  and  Althorp,  saying  I  ought  to 
keep  my  office  and  resign.  I  told  Graham  that 
I  was  not  certain  as  to  resigning  my  seat ;  but 
I  certainly  would  resign  my  office. 

The  next  morning  I  consulted  my  wife,  who 
approved  of  my  resigning  office,  so  I  sat  down 
and  wrote  a  letter  of  resignation  to  Lord  Grey. 
I  received  a  note  from  him  almost  immediately, 
saying  my  letter  had  distressed  him  greatly,  and 
desiring  me  to  come  to  him. 

I  went  to  Lord  Althorp  and  told  him  it  was 
impossible,  after  the  conduct  of  the  Westminster 
electors  to  me,  to  retain  office,  and  abandon  them. 
I  detailed  the  circumstances  of  our  long  con- 

VOL.  iv  39 


306  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1833.  nection,  and  concluded  by  saying  "  that  my 
resignation  was  irrevocable;  I  could  not  retract 
it."  Lord  Althorp  then  said :  "  Though,  as  one 
of  the  Ministers,  I  have  thought  it  my  duty 
to  dissuade  you  from  leaving  office,  I  must,  as 
your  friend,  say  that  I  think  you  are  right. 
Your  resignation  will  be  a  great  blow  to  us;  it 
will  all  but  knock  up  the  Government."  I 
said,  "Pooh!  nonsense!"  "Ah,"  rejoined  Lord 
Althorp,  "you  may  say  so;  but  whom  shall  we 
put  in  your  place?" 

I  told  Althorp  I  was  in  great  difficulties  about 
voting.  He  then  reminded  me  how  he  and  I 
had  abused  Baring  for  voting  against  his  con- 
science to  please  his  constituents ;  and  he  asked 
me  whether  I  really  thought  it  a  good  thing 
for  the  country  that  Sir  John  Key's  motion 
should  be  carried.  I  said,  "  No ;  I  think  it  a 
very  bad  thing."  "  Well,  then,"  said  he,  "  how 
can  you  vote  for  it  ?  "  I  said,  "  I  would  not 
vote  for  it,  but  would  resign  my  seat."  He 
owned  my  position  "  was  a  very  painful  one  ;  but 
he  had  never  thought  of  it  until  Monday  morning, 
when  he  was  in  bed." 

Lord  Grey  received  me  very  kindly  and  very 
mournfully ;  told  me  he  did  not  know  what 
they  should  do  if  I  left  office ;  suggested  what 
had  been  suggested  before,  of  my  resigning  only 
my  seat,  and  seeing  the  effect  of  that  step.  I 
persevered ;  said  I  was  very  sorry,  but  I  could 
not  help  taking  the  step ;  that  I  gave  the  best 


CHAP.  XIV.          THE    CHILTERN    HUNDREDS  307 

possible  proof  of  the  sincerity  of  my  attachment     1833. 
to  him  and  his  colleagues,  by  resigning  my  seat 
as  well  as  my  place. 

I  went  to  Sir  Francis  Burdett,  and  begged  him 
to  move  a  new  writ  for  Westminster  the  same 
evening,  I  having  accepted  the  Chiltern  Hundreds. 
I  said  I  had  resigned  my  office,  that  was  done ; 
and,  as  for  my  seat,  I  could  not  keep  it  without 
voting  either  against  my  constituents  or  against 
my  conscience,  so  that  I  had  nothing  to  do  but 
to  resign.  Seeing  he  could  not  alter  my  deter- 
mination, Burdett  undertook  this  disagreeable 
task. 

I  walked  away  to  De  Year,  and  told  him  what 
I  had  done.  He  approved,  and  we  both  agreed 
to  bid  farewell  to  Westminster  politics,  unless 
indeed  the  electors  should  spontaneously  call 
upon  me  to  serve  them  again. 

I  went  home.  Lord  Lansdowne  called  to 
dissuade  me  from  leaving  office ;  but  I  looked 
at  the  clock,  and  said  that  by  that  time  the 
step  was  taken. 

I  thought  over  the  events  of  this  day,  and 
felt  sure  that  in  these,  the  most  critical  circum- 
stances of  my  whole  life,  I  had  acted  as  became 
me ;  erring,  if  anything,  on  the  side  of  too  great 
scrupulosity; — and  I  felt  sure  of  general,  if  not 
of  universal,  approbation.  Indeed,  it  seemed 
utterly  impossible  to  impute  to  me  any  but  the 
best  motives  for  this  double  sacrifice. 

On  Wednesday,  May  1,  I  wrote  to  Sir  Herbert 


308  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1833  Taylor,  requesting  him  to  convey  my  duty  and 
regrets  to  the  King,  for  being  compelled  to  quit 
H.M.'s  service.  I  had  an  answer  very  soon, 
telling  me  that  the  King  "  deeply  lamented  the 
loss  of  me,  at  a  moment  when  my  talents  and 
energies  would  have  been  so  advantageously 
employed  in  the  service  of  the  country/'  I  also 
received  complimentary  notes  from  many  dis- 
tinguished people ;  and  an  article  in  the  Times 
called  the  virtue  of  the  resignations  unparalleled. 
Being  quite  sure  that  I  had  done  right,  I  was 
pleased  that  others  thought  so. 

May  2. — Charles  Wood  called  on  me,  and  I  had 
a  long  talk  with  him.  The  purport  of  his  visit 
was  to  persuade  me  to  return  to  office.  Lord 
Grey,  at  the  King's  desire,  would  write  such  a 
letter  to  me  as  I  might  publish.  He  detailed 
over  and  over  again  the  difficulties  caused  by  my 
retirement. 

I  told  him  I  did  not  know  what  would  be 
thought  of  my  return  to  office,  as  regards  West- 
minster ;  but  as  there  was  to  be  a  meeting  at 
the  Crown  and  Anchor  this  evening,  perhaps  the 
opinion  of  the  constituency  might  be  collected 
there. 

Some  of  the  papers  begin  to  abuse  me,  and  I 
hear  that  many  good  folks  stare  and  confess  they 
cannot  understand  what  I  meant  by  resigning. 
The  double  sacrifice  is  incomprehensible ;  I  must 
have  some  motive.  General  Gascoyne  told  me 
very  gravely  that  of  course  I  had  other  reasons 


CHAP.  XIV.    HE-NOMINATED    FOR   WESTMINSTER  309 

than  those  which  I  assigned  in  my  advertisement.     1833. 
I  replied  that  I  was  not  in  the  habit  of  advertising 
lies.      He  laughed   at   my   delicacy   towards   my 
constituents,  and  said  he  would  have  seen  them 

d hefore   he    would    have    acted   as    I    have 

done. 

At  the  meeting  of  Westminster  electors  resolu- 
tions were  passed  highly  complimentary  to  me, 
and  I  was  again  put  in  nomination. 

May  3. — A  meeting  took  place  in  Westminster, 
professedly  about  House  and  Window  Tax,  but  in 
reality  to  put  Evans  in  nomination  for  West- 
minster, and  at  that  meeting  my  conduct  was 
denounced  as  an  act  of  the  basest  duplicity,  a 
desertion  of  my  duty,  and  a  perfidious  trick  ;  and 
a  resolution  accordingly  was  passed  by  acclama- 
tion, although  the  chairman,  Mr.  Daniel  Whittle 
Harvey,  defended  me.  Indeed,  I  find  even  my 
own  friends  begin  to  think  I  must  have  some 
deep-laid  plot  in  contemplation.  The  Government 
people  contribute  to  this  by  expressing  their 
anxiety  that  I  should  come  back,  by  not  appoint- 
ing my  successor.  I  hear  that  people  cannot  be 
brought  to  believe  in  the  reality  of  my  making 
such  a  sacrifice  for  honour  and  conscience'  sake ; 
but  it  is  true,  nevertheless. 

The  abuse  of  the  press  more  violent.  Had  I 
kept  both  office  and  seat,  and  voted  against  the 
Repeal,  I  should  have  been  less  attacked. 

After  some  hesitation  I  agreed  to  stand  again 
for  Westminster,  and  on  May  7  I  went  to  Co  vent 


310  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

1833.  Garden  with  Lord  Ebrington,  Buncombe,  Stanley, 
and  other  Members  of  Parliament,  together  with  a 
large  body  of  friendly  electors.  But  the  moment 
I  got  into  the  Market  the  disturbance  began; 
and  it  was  not  without  difficulty,  not  to  say 
danger,  that  I  got  within  the  rails  of  the  church 
portico.  The  people  were  ferocious,  and,  if  they 
had  got  me  down,  I  should  never  have  risen  again. 
I  saw  many  of  my  Committee,  "  well  tried  through 
many  a  varying  year,"  now  ranged  with  my 
opponents.  Eearon,  the  American  traveller,  said 
that  he  began  to  suspect  we  had  given  more 
Reform  than  the  civilisation  of  the  people  would 
bear. 

I  was  proposed  in  the  usual  way,  but  when  I 
stepped  forward  to  speak,  I  was  instantly  assailed 
with  the  most  unsavoury  missiles,  and  a  storm  of 
hisses  and  yells.  Finding  I  could  get  no  hearing, 
my  friends  persuaded  me  to  return  to  the  hotel 
where  my  committee  was  sitting. 

In  the  meantime,  Evans,  and  Escott,  and 
Wakley  attacked  me  furiously.  The  chief  charge 
against  me  was  for  not  voting  for  the  repeal 
of  the  House  and  Window  duties ;  and  Evans 
affected  not  to  believe  that  I  was  really  out  of 
office. 

May  10. — Colonel  Evans  was  returned  M.P.  for 
Westminster,  by  a  majority  of  152  ahead  of  me. 
It  was  but  poor  consolation  to  be  told,  as  I  was, 
that  had  the  poll  been  kept  open  one  hour  longer, 
I  should  have  won  the  election.  After  all  my 


CHAP.  XIV.  DEFEATED  311 

toils   and   sacrifices,  it  appears  that   there   could     isss. 
not   be   found   2,000   electors  of  Westminster  to 
record    their    opinion    in    favour   of    my   public 
character   or   of   my   private   honour,  which  was 
clearly  involved  in  the  event  of  the  contest. 

Nevertheless  I  never  felt  more  self-satisfied  in 
my  life — never  more  certain  that  I  had  acted  as 
became  me,  and  in  a  way  which  would,  finally, 
be  creditable  to  myself  and  useful  to  the  public. 
Even  at  the  time  I  saw,  in  the  applause  of  every 
honourable  man,  a  certain  proof  of  the  opinion 
which  would  ultimately  be  formed  of  me.  Pelted 
by  the  people,  deserted  by  the  electors,  abused 
by  the  press,  and  assailed  in  every  way  by  my 
antagonists,  without  office  and  out  of  Parliament, 
I  never  felt  more  tranquil  in  my  life  than  this 
day,  at  my  own  house,  with  my  wife,  and  three 
brothers,  and  my  wife '3  brother,  Lord  Thomas 
Hay ;  and,  whilst  waiting  to  hear  by  how  many 
I  had  lost  the  election,  I  allowed  myself  the 
pardonable  vanity  of  reciting  a  very  hackneyed 
quotation  —  "  Virtus  repulsae  nescia  sordidse," 
etc. 

My  principal  friends,  De  Vear,  and  Wylde,  and 
Pouncey,  called  upon  me  next  day  to  discuss  the 
expediency  of  petitioning  against  the  return, 
which,  perhaps,  might  have  been  set  aside  on 
account  of  some  informality;  but  I  decided 
against  the  proposal,  and  one  of  my  friends  went 
to  the  hustings,  at  the  declaration  of  the  numbers, 
and  declared  that  I  should  not  dispute  the  return. 


312  LONDON  CHAP.  XIV. 

Even  this  did  not  prevent  Colonel  Evans  from 
having  a  fling  at  me ;  for  he  said,  in  his  speech 
of  thanks,  that  he  hoped,  if  ever  he  proved 
recreant,  he  might  be  treated  as  I  had  been. 
Recreant  indeed !  When  will  he  give  up  high 
office,  and  £6,000  or  £7,000  a  year,  rather  than 
violate  his  engagements  ? 

But  such  was  the  blind  violence  of  the  moment, 
that  even  the  John  Bull  newspaper  confessed  that 
it  could  not  understand  why  I  had  been  so  abused. 
Returning  from  a  walk  on  the  day  of  the  declara- 
tion of  the  poll,  I  found  my  window-shutters 
closed,  and  heard  that  a  message  had  been  sent 
by  the  police  that  Colonel  Evans's  chairing-pro- 
cession  would  pay  me  a  visit,  and  twelve  police- 
men were  sent  to  guard  me.  Contrasting  this 
with  former  scenes  in  Westminster,  I  could  not 
help  bursting  into  a  fit  of  laughter  ;  but  I  thought 
it  advisable  to  send  my  wife  and  children  to  the 
house  of  a  friend.  The  triumphant  procession  did 
not  come  to  my  house  ;  but  drew  up  before  that  of 
my  chairman,  the  worthy  De  Year.  They  pelted 
it  a  little,  but  did  no  mischief. 

On  May  12  I  went  to  Send  Grove,  and  was 
joined  by  my  wife  and  children  in  a  few  days.  I 
heard  that  my  door-knocker  had  not  been  silent 
for  half  an  hour  since  I  left  London. 

May  15. — I  had  a  letter  from  Sir  G.  Shee, 
Under-Secretary  of  State,  hoping  I  would  return 
to  office  and  find  a  seat  in  the  summer.  I  sent 
back  to  say  that  I  was  not  enamoured  of  martyr- 


CHAP.  XIV.  ATT   REVOIR  TO   POLITICS  313 

dom,  but  one  day  or  other  I  might  wear  King's  1833. 
Livery  again.  El  lice  wrote  me  a  letter  on  the 
following  Friday  saying  I  might  be  returned  for 
Dover.  Perhaps  I  might  have  been ;  but  there 
was  nothing  particularly  inviting  in  the  pro- 
ceedings in  Parliament  at  that  time. 


VOL.  iv  40 


CHAPTER  XV 

EROM  DIARY. 

May  22. — I  dined  with  the  Duchess  of  Kent. 
There  were  upwards  of  thirty  at  table.  Sir  James 
Graham  and  Lord  John  Russell  were  of  the 
party.  It  was  the  first  time  I  had  seen  them 
since  I  had  quitted  office. 

I  had  a  good  deal  of  talk  with  Sir  J.  Conroy 
on  personal  politics  and  characters  of  M.P.'s.  He 
told  me  he  once  heard  Joseph  Hume  recommend 
the  Duke  of  Kent  to  be  content  with  keeping 
one  horse-chaise  for  the  Duchess,  at  which  the 
Duke  laughed  very  heartily.  He  asked  me  if  I 
thought  Hume  meant  mischief.  I  said,  "  De- 
cidedly not."  He  agreed  with  me. 

He  told  me  that  H.R.H.  had  taken  a  great 
interest  in  the  Westminster  election,  and  was 
exceedingly  vexed  at  the  result.  She  was  most 
particularly  attentive  to  me.  Indeed,  I  must 
say  that  every  one  I  see  endeavours  to  repair 
the  injustice  of  my  late  constituents,  so  far  as 
praise  can  repair  it.  I  never  met  with  a  warmer 
reception  in  my  life  from  every  one — friend,  ac- 
quaintance, and  stranger. 

May    24.— Went    to    the     Children's    Ball    at 

314 


CHAP.  XV.  ASPECTS   OF   WELLINGTON  315 

St.  James's  Palace :  a  very  beautiful  sight.  I 
had  a  most  gracious  reception  from  all,  par- 
ticularly Tories,  and  some  of  my  old  masters. 

This  being  Derby  week,  there  was  little  done 
in  Parliament;  but  I  remark  two  votes — one  on 
Corn  Laws  and  another  on  House  and  Window 
Tax — on  which,  if  I  had  been  in  the  House, 
I  should  have  been  obliged  to  go  against  the 
Ministers :  so  how  could  I  have  held  office  ? 
The  more  I  think  of  the  course  I  pursued,  the 
more  I  feel  sure  that  I  did  what  was  right; 
nay,  more,  the  only  thing  that  was  right. 

May  26. — I  dined  at  Lord  Sligo's :  a  pleasant 
party.  I  sat  next  to  Lady  Clanricarde,  and  was 
trying  to  find  out  the  resemblance  between  her 
and  Canning.  I  could  not,  however.  She  said 
one  or  two  agreeable  and  sensible  things,  and 
seemed  to  have  a  humorous  turn.  As  a  specimen 
of  young  Lady  Salisbury's  good  sense,  she  told 
me  that  the  Tory  Marchioness  had  said  that  the 
Duke  of  Wellington  had  no  taste  about  women; 
though,  she  added,  "  I  have  no  right  to  say  so, 
I  am  sure." 

May  28. — Went  to  the  Queen's  Drawing-Room 
to  celebrate  the  King's  birthday.  The  King 
looked  cold  enough,  the  Queen  particularly 
gracious ;  all  very  friendly,  save  one,  who  turned 
on  his  heel ;  and  who  was  he  ?  The  Duke  of 
Wellington.  I  hope,  for  his  sake,  I  made  a 
mistake. 

May  31. — I  dined  with  Lady  Davy,  and  met 


316  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1833.  Lucien  Buonaparte,  the  Prince  of  Canino.  He 
pressed  my  hand  and  said  handsome  things  on 
being  introduced  to  me. 

He  looked  to  me  very  like  his  wonderful 
brother,  particularly  in  the  lower  part  of  his 
face.  He  was  more  than  polite  to  me,  and, 
sitting  next  to  me,  talked  with  a  frankness  that 
was  very  pleasing.  He  said  that  there  was  no 
reason  to  fear  a  revolution  in  England ;  but  he 
would  not  answer  for  Erance.  He  added  that 
Napoleon  knew  Erance  better  than  any  one,  and 
confessed  that  he  and  his  Republican  friends  had 
been  wrong.  He  thought  Waterloo  had  ruined 
Europe.  Had  Napoleon  been  victorious,  he  would 
have  governed  constitutionally  and  peaceably;  at 
least,  he  said  he  would,  and  Lucien  believed  him. 

Lady  Dudley  Stuart,  Lucien  }s  daughter,  was 
one  of  the  party :  a  very  pleasing  woman,  but 
now  very  plain.  Lord  Stuart  de  Rothsay  and 
his  wife  dined  with  us;  he,  as  usual,  was  very 
agreeable.  Lord  Kerry  and  Lord  Russell  were 
both  there — very  young,  and  made  me  feel  very 
old. 

I  afterwards  went  to  an  Assembly  at  Lady 
Grey's.  Lord  Grey  received  me  most  kindly, 
as,  to  be  sure,  he  ought. 

June  19. — There  are  rumours  of  a  change  of 
Ministers  and  dissolution  of  Parliament.  The 
friends  of  Government,  as  usual,  are  the  chief 
propagators  of  these  tales;  the  cause  assigned  is 
that  the  Peers  will  throw  out  the  Church 


CHAP.  XV.  ILLNESS    OF   LADY   JULIA  317 

Temporalities    Bill,    and    Lord    Althorp    having     1833. 
said  the  Government  would  stand  or  fall  hy  the 
Bill,  he  and  his   colleagues   must   abide   by  the 
assertion  and  resign. 

I  had  some  talk  with  Chief  Justice  Denman 
on  the  subject,  and  he  seemed  to  think  the  em- 
barrassment great.  I  foretell  the  Government 
will  scramble  through  this  difficulty. 

P.  Methuen,  who  has  been  here  this  minute, 
says  that  Ellice  and  Gordon  hint  that  the 
Ministers  have  resolved  to  give  way  on  the  point 
on  which  they  and  the  Peers  are  likely  to  differ, 
namely,  the  appropriation  of  Church  revenues  (if 
any  surplus)  to  such  purposes  as  Parliament  may 
approve. 

All  these  reflections  were  soon  lost  in  the 
serious  attack  which  threatened  the  life  of  my 
wife.  Most  unfortunately  she  had  been  prevailed 
upon  to  try  the  new  quack  system,  and  a  certain 
Doctor  Beluomini  was  the  person  sent  for  to 
carry  it  into  effect.  It  produced  the  worst  pos- 
sible effect :  a  blood-vessel  broke  in  the  lungs, 
and  for  a  short  time  I  thought  she  was  lost; 
but  Dr.  Warren  assured  me  that  there  was  still 
some  hope,  and,  by  his  assistance  and  constant 
attendance,  the  hemorrhage  was  stopped. 

Lady  Julia  continued  to  improve,  and  was 
soon  so  much  better  that  I  was  able  to  see  some 
of  my  friends.  I  found,  however,  now  that  I 
was  altogether  out  of  the  concern,  that  Parlia- 
mentary talk  was  insufferable. 


318  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

June  27. — I  was  asked  to  attend  a  Committee 
to  answer  questions  respecting  the  duties  of 
Secretary-at-War.  I  almost  made  up  my  mind 
not  to  attend,  as  I  knew  the  intention  was  to 
extract  evidence  from  me  against  the  military 
authorities  at  the  Horse  Guards,  and  there  were 
no  less  than  four  M.P.'s  on  the  Committee  who 
had  already  been  at  the  head  of  the  War  Office. 

June  28. — After  some  consideration  I  went  to 
the  Committee,  and  all  went  smoothly  till  Hume 
asked  me  whether  the  Commander-in-Chief  had 
opposed  any  of  my  proposals  for  reduction.  I 
declined  to  answer  that  question,  as  this  would 
hetray  the  secrets  of  official  intercourse,  and  the 
question  was  afterwards  withdrawn. 

No  man  ever  made  greater  efforts  than  myself 
to  control  the  power  of  the  military  authorities, 
and,  had  I  been  listened  to,  the  Secretary-at-War 
would  have  become  an  independent  Minister.  But 
I  would  not  consent  to  abuse  my  official  experi- 
ence by  making  it  the  foundation  of  charges 
against  those  with  whom  I  had  been  in  confidential 
intercourse.  I  would  willingly  and  fearlessly  act 
upon  the  knowledge  I  gained,  when  in  the  office ; 
but  I  will  not  tell  tales  out  of  school,  which 
would  not  produce  the  desired  reforms.  On  the 
contrary,  some  of  my  details  might  be  incorrect, 
my  inferences  wrong.  Hardinge  and  others  would 
contradict  me ;  their  authority  might  be  thought 
better  than  mine,  and  my  disclosures  would  retard 
instead  of  advancing  the  public  cause.  Never- 


CHAP.  XV.  RESIGNATION   AND   AFTER-  319 

theless  I   shall,  of  course,   be   much  abused  by     1833> 
the  worthy  Radicals .     "  N'importe." 

July  2. — Dined  at  Paul  Methuen's.  A  House 
of  Commons  party,  very  dull  for  an  ex-M.P. 

Burdett  again  expressed  his  discontent  at  my 
giving  up  Westminster,  so  did  James  Brougham. 
I  said,  as  the  girl  did  who  ran  away  with  the 
footman,  I  would  do  it  again  if  it  were  to  be 
done  again.  Burdett  said  that  so  far  as  I  was 
concerned  there  was  nothing  to  be  said,  but  he 
had  been  so  long  in  the  habit  of  considering  only 
the  public  good,  that  he  never  thought  of  his 
own  character  or  convenience. 

Now  this  is  all  very  well,  but  how  can  the 
public  good  be  advanced  by  the  ruin  of  individual 
reputation  ?  I  might  have  retained  my  office 
and  my  seat  and  voted  with  Government,  but 
after  so  shameless  a  contrast  between  my  repeated 
assurances  to  my  constituents,  and  my  after-con- 
duct in  Parliament,  what  weight  could  I  ever 
have  given  to  any  Government,  or  to  any  party, 
or  to  any  cause  ?  I  might  indeed  have  retained 
my  seat  and  opposed  Government,  and  I  some- 
times think  this  would  have  been  preferable  to 
throwing  open  Westminster  to  an  adventurer, 
and  thereby  degrading  the  Metropolitan  con- 
stituency. But  who  could  have  foreseen  that, 
after  my  double  sacrifice,  the  electors  should  be 
so  imposed  upon  as  to  treat  me,  not  as  a  martyr 
to  my  own  notions  of  scrupulous  honour,  which 
I  was ;  but  as  a  traitor  to  themselves,  and  a 


320  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1833.  deserter  of  my  principles  ?  Had  I  thought  such 
a  mistake  possible,  it  is  likely  I  should  have 
hesitated  much  more  than  I  did  before  I  resigned 
my  seat,  for  it  must  be  confessed  the  result  of 
the  last  contest  cannot  but  be  prejudicial  to  the 
public  interests.  There  wanted  not  another 
example  of  public  ingratitude.  It  is  some  com- 
fort, however,  that  the  question  seems  now  to 
be  tolerably  well  understood.  The  gallant  Colonel 
is  not  raised,  I  am  not  lowered  in  public  estima- 
tion, and  the  electors  of  Westminster  will  probably 
take  the  first  opportunity  of  showing  that  they 
have  recovered  from  the  error  of  the  moment. 

July  4. — Dined  at  David  Baillie's;  met  there 
Lord  Tavistock,  with  whom  I  had  a  good  deal 
of  conversation  on  the  state  of  the  Cabinet.  He 
told  me  Lord  John  Russell  is  not  pleased  with 
the  doings  of  Government,  and  once  had  almost 
resigned.  There  must  be  a  change  at  the  close 
of  the  Session. 

July  6. — I  have  read  a  little  lately,  chiefly 
lounging  books ;  but  I  cannot  say  I  take  very 
readily  to  study  after  years  of  public  turmoil. 
The  business  of  office  has  also  given  a  different 
turn  and  tone  to  my  mind.  I  hope,  however, 
to  be  able  to  return  to  books  in  good  earnest, 
unless  I  should  return  to  my  old  occupation. 

July  7. — Dined  at  H.  Stephenson's.  Duke  and 
Duchess  of  Cleveland,  Duke  of  Sussex,  etc.,  there: 
a  pretty  Sunday  party. 

The  Duke  of  Cleveland  showed  us  the  letter 


CHAP.  XV.      DINNER   AT   LORD   HARRINGTON'S  321 

of  summons  to  attend  the  Lords  on  Tuesday  next,  1833. 
when  it  is  expected  Ministers  will  be  hard  run 
on  Local  Courts  Bill.  The  Duke  told  me  that 
he  expected  our  friends  would  be  beaten,  and  he 
was  alarmed  at  the  consequences  which  might 
ensue  from  a  change  of  Administration,  or  from  a 
collision  between  the  two  Houses.  He  seemed 
very  serious  indeed,  and  he  is  not  at  all  a  timid 
politician. 

July  9. — This  evening  Ministers  beaten  by 
majority  of  12  on  Local  Courts  Bill  in  the  Lords. 
Now  for  the  tug  of  war. 

July  13. — I  sat  for  my  bust  to  Campbell,  the 
sculptor.1  A  tedious  operation.  He  seems  a  very 
ignorant  man,  and  I  have  remarked  this  of  almost 
every  artist  I  ever  knew,  Chantrey  and  Jackson 
excepted. 

July  14. — I  dined  at  Lord  Harrington's  :  a  most 
curious  scene.  His  wife  (Miss  Eoote),  a  pleasing 
person,  who  did  the  honours  well  to  a  most 
numerous  and  miscellaneous  party. 

Lord  Harrington,  in  his  usual  strange  costume, 
did  not  appear  till  just  before  dinner  at  half -past 
eight.  Lady  Tavistock  was  the  only  female  pre- 
sent. I  sat  between  Lord  Tavistock  and  Luttrell ; 
the  latter  amused  himself  in  quizzing  the  feast, 
as  might  be  expected.  I  must  say  it  was  very 
absurd.  The  servants  were  dressed  in  some 
ancient  costume  with  large  sleeves.  Count 
d'Orsay  was  of  the  party,  and  fixed  his  eyes  on 

1  This  bust  is  now  at  42,  Berkeley  Square. 
VOL.   IV  41 


322  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

the  Countess  in  a  very  intelligible  manner.  A 
singular  bye-road  to  fame,  and  yet  Lord 
Harrington  must  love  notoriety;  nothing  else 
can  account  for  such  troublesome  vagaries.  He 
is  a  pleasing,  agreeable,  and,  in  most  respects, 
a  very  sensible  man.  We  had  a  weary  time  of 
it  till  half -past  ten. 

In  the  drawing-room  were  one  or  two  more 
ladies,  and  Mrs.  S.  Whitbread  amongst  them. 
We  had  music,  i.e.  a  song  from  the  Countess, 
the  Jews'  harp  performer — a  curious  exploit — 
and  James  Smith  with  his  eternal  Sirname 
song. 

I  had  a  long  talk  with  Tavistock  on  the  state 
of  affairs.  He  seemed  persuaded  that  the  present 
Ministerial  arrangement  neither  could  nor  ought 
to  last  beyond  the  Session.  He  was  against  any 
measure  that  would  annihilate  the  power  of  the 
House  of  Peers. 

He  told  me  that  the  plan  was  for  Abercromby 
to  move  and  Grote  second  a  resolution  or  address 
to  the  King,  if  the  Church  Reform  Bill  were 
thrown  out,  expressive  of  the  wish  of  the  Commons 
for  His  Majesty  to  take  some  steps  to  prevent 
a  collision  between  the  two  Houses,  i.e.  create 
Peers.  If  the  present  Ministers  are  to  remain 
in  office,  such  a  step  appears  inevitable. 

July  15. — It  appeared  very  clearly  by  the 
Opposition  papers  this  morning  that  the  Peers 
had  given  way,  so  far  as  the  second  reading  was 
concerned. 


CHAP.  XV.  ORLEANS    HOUSE  323 

Went  to  the  Zoological  Gardens  and  saw  Mr.  1833. 
Sabine,  who  told  me  that  the  year  before  last 
the  Society  had  taken  £12,000  in  shillings,  but 
only  £10,000  this  year.  He  said  that  all  the 
keepers  were  country  folk,  sons  of  gamekeepers, 
etc.;  no  menagerie  men — they  had  found  them 
to  be  rogues. 

July  16. — This  day  we  went  to  Twickenham 
to  the  villa  recently  inhabited  by  Sir  George 
Pococke,  and  now  called  Orleans  House.  It 
was  a  delightful  residence,  open  and  yet  re- 
tired ;  not  a  building  was  to  be  seen  from  our 
terrace,  or  from  our  windows.  Our  own  smooth 
lawn,  the  lovely  Thames,  the  avenues  of  Ham, 
the  meadows  of  Petersham,  the  woody  slopes  of 
Bichmond  Hill,  seemed  to  belong  to  us  alone, 
and  made  for  our  enjoyment ;  and  the  tranquillity 
of  the  retreat,  after  London,  was  in  itself  the 
charm  of  charms. 

During  this  season  I  went  into  society  more 
than  1  had  been  for  many  years,  and  had  no 
reason  to  regret  my  retirement  from  public  life* 

July  17. — I  had  a  letter  from  E.  J.  Littleton  1 
yesterday,  telling  me  he  "  likes  his  office  much, 
and  contemplates  official  deposition  with  pain." 
Now  this  is  just  the  man  for  office.  He  has  no 
reputation  to  lose,  and  has  what  are  called  habits 
of  business,  without  any  anxiety  to  excel  in 
Parliament. 

1  Edward  John  Littleton,  Chief  Secretary  to  the  Lord  Lieutenant 
of  Ireland,  created  Baron  Hatherton  1835. 


324  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

July  22. — I  am  employed  in  looking  over 
newspapers  since  1820 — a  tiresome  and  not  so 
instructive  an  employment  as  I  should  have 
thought.  I  find,  however,  as  far  as  myself  is 
concerned,  that  with  my  present  experience  I 
should  not  have  acted  always  as  I  have  done. 
Indeed,  who  would  ?  Yet  I  have  nothing  to 
regret  or  blame  in  the  general  tenor  of  my 
conduct,  and  least  of  all  towards  the  people  of 
Westminster,  to  whom  I  have  devoted  the  best 
years  of  my  life. 

July  27. — Sharp  work  in  the  Lords.  Govern- 
ment beat  on  one  important  clause  in  Committee, 
but  Lord  Grey  said  it  would  be  folly  to  go  out 
upon  it. 

Lord  Tavistock  came  to  us  to-day.  He  said  if 
Government  were  to  restore  the  amended  clause, 
they  would  be  beat ;  if  not,  they  will  carry  their 
Bill.  Ellice  tells  me  Lord  Grey  will  not  attempt 
any  change,  and  the  Duke  of  Wellington  is  sick 
of  opposition  and  sighs  for  repose. 

July  31. — The  Lords  passed  the  second  reading 
of  the  Irish  Church  B/eform  Bill  by  a  large 
majority,  59.  The  Duke  of  Wellington  for  it. 

August  17. — My  friend  Lord  Althorp  declared 
the  other  day  that  it  was  his  intention  to  give 
up  the  House  Tax  the  next  Session  of  Parliament. 
Had  he  told  me  this,  I  should  not  have  had  all 
my  troubles,  but  he  did  not  know  it. 

August  20. — I  have  been  debating  what  I  shall 
do  with  myself  during  the  autumn  and  winter. 


CHAP.  XV.  BASILDON    PAKK  325 

This  no  employment,  after  my  active  life,  is  an     1833. 
annoyance.     I   do  not  like  to  begin  any  serious 
pursuit,  but  I  must,  or  I  shall  eat  up  my  own 
soul. 

August  29. — Parliament  prorogued  to-day.  As 
I  foretold,  Ministers  managed  to  scramble  through 
the  Session. 

September  10. — Returned  to  London.  Walked 
about  the  streets  and  met  scarcely  a  soul.  A 
most  melancholy  scene. 

I  have  resolved  to  return  to  my  Italian  work, 
and  prepared  books  and  journals  accordingly.  I 
hope  I  shall  be  able  to  do  something  with  it, 
but  I  doubt,  my  hand  has  been  out  so  long. 

September  12. — Left  London  and  went  to 
Basildon  Park,  to  take  up  our  residence  there 
on  a  year's  trial. 

November  7. — I  have  nothing  to  record  of  my 
life  at  Basildon.  I  have  endeavoured  to  suit 
myself  to  a  country  life,  but  I  do  not  think 
with  much  success.  Besides  the  land  let  with 
the  mansion,  about  40  acres,  I  have  also  taken 
the  Park,  179  acres ;  because  I  do  not  chose  to 
have  the  farmer,  his  sons,  and  servants  walking 
under  and  looking  into  my  kitchen  windows.  I 
have  bought  3  cows,  27  pigs,  and  192  sheep. 
I  have  put  four  or  five  men  to  work  in  the 
neglected  garden,  and  have  taken  the  spade  and 
mattock  in  hand  myself.  I  have  retained  the 
keeper,  and  declared  I  shall  preserve  the  game. 
I  walk  to  my  stable,  cowyard,  and  garden,  and 


326  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1833.  look  at  my  young  wheat  most  days.  I  go  out 
with  a  gun  in  my  hand  and  toil  between  five  and 
seven  hours,  and  bring  home  little  or  nothing.  I 
go  to  church,  and  am  civil  to  the  neighbours. 
In  short,  I  do  what  is  usually  done,  and  perhaps 
might  be  well  contented  to  continue  the  experiment 
if  my  wife's  health  permitted  me ;  but  Dr.  Warren 
informed  me  I  must  remove  her,  if  only  for  a 
short  time,  and  accordingly  I  am  going  from 
this  place  to-morrow  to  London. 

November  14. — I  went  with  my  wife  to  Eendles- 
ham,  where  my  wife's  brother,  Lord  Thomas  Hay, 
was  rector  of  the  parish. 

November  17. — Heard  Hay  preach.  Like  most 
other  preachers  he  is  a  good  fellow,  and  we  won't 
talk  of  his  sermon  ! 

November  23. — Returned  to  London,  and  got 
permission  from  Dr.  Warren  for  my  wife  to  make 
another  trial  of  Basildon. 

December  2. — I  met  my  old  acquaintance 
Macaulay,  who,  to  my  surprise,  told  me  that  he 
was  going  to  India  as  Legislative  Member  of 
the  Calcutta  Council.  This,  he  said,  would  make 
a  vacancy  at  Leeds,  and  he  hoped  I  would  think 
of  it. 

Macaulay  told  me  that  it  was  all  very  fine 
for  him  to  be  M.P.  for  Leeds  and  Secretary  to 
the  Board  of  Control ;  but,  not  having  a  shilling 
in  the  world,  he  found  Parliament  was  not  the 
place  for  him,  and  he  was  resolved  to  make 
money  enough  to  ensure  an  independence.  Six 


CHAP.  XV.  MACAULAY  327 

years  in  India  would  satisfy  his  wants  ;  he  should     1833. 
not,  at  his  return,  be  more  than  forty  years  old, 
and  he  might  return  to  public  life. 

He  then  declaimed  against  Stanley,  to  whom 
he  allowed  the  highest  capacity  in  almost  every 
respect,  except  that  of  seeing  what  was  beneficial 
for  the  country ;  and  who  therefore,  even  more 
than  W.  Pitt,  seemed  born  for  the  destruction 
of  the  aristocracy,  by  his  honest,  uncompromising 
defence  of  them. 

He  spoke  of  Brougham  as  everybody  else  speaks 
of  him,  saying  that  when  he  (Macaulay)  came 
into  Parliament,  Brougham,  because  not  consulted, 
turned  his  back  on  him.  So  I  see  my  friend 
Macaulay  is  not  pleased  with  his  position  or  his 
masters. 

December  3. — C.  Wood  wrote  to  ask  me  if  I 
would  stand  for  Huddersfield  or  Leeds.  Lord 
Tavistock,  Lord  J.  Russell,  and  Ellice  hint  on 
the  same  subject.  The  truth  is  it  will  not  do 
for  me  who  has  been  chosen  seven  times  for 
Westminster,  without  solicitation,  to  become  a 
canvasser,  and  I  will  not. 

December  4. — Colonel  Jones  called ;  he  is  much 
changed  for  the  better.  He  told  me  some 
anecdotes  of  the  scoundrels  who  conduct  our 
daily  press. 

Alderman  Harmer,  the  attorney,  who  sits  on 
the  London  bench  to  punish  petty  larceny,  gets 
£3,000  or  £4,000  a  year  by  being  proprietor  of  the 
Weekly  Dispatch,  a  paper  which  thrives  on  the 


328  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1833.  worst  of  all   crimes :  the   destruction   of  private 
and  public  character. 

December  6. — Ellice  having  told  me  as  a  great 
secret  that  the  King  had  granted  a  Commission 
to  him  and  Russell,  and  several  others,  to  inquire 
into  the  practicability  of  consolidating  the  Civil 
Departments  of  the  Army  under  a  Board,  I 
wrote  to  him  to  tell  him  another  secret,  namely, 
that  the  said  project  was  a  child  of  my  own,  left 
in  the  cradle  when  I  quitted  office,  as  he  would 
learn  from  a  Memorial  drawn  up  by  me. 

It  is  a  good  joke  affecting  to  forget  all  the 
efforts  I  made  to  effect  this  reform ! ! ! 

1834.  January     1,    1834 — Another     year.      May    it 
prove  less  disastrous  than  the  last ! 

January  6. — The  consolidation  scheme,  after  a 
great  struggle,  is  given  up.  I  thought  so  ! 

Early  in  this  year  George  Lamb,  my  old 
opponent  in  Westminster,  died.  He  and  I  had 
latterly  been  on  very  friendly  terms,  and  I  much 
regretted  his  loss.  Ellice  wrote  to  say  that  Lord 
Howick  was  to  succeed  him  in  his  office. 

I  had  letters  inviting  me  to  stand  for  Bridge- 
water,  East  Somerset,  Marylebone,  Devizes,  and 
one  or  two  other  constituencies.  I  answered 
uniformly,  "  Yes,  but  on  my  own  terms :  no 
canvassing,  no  pledges,  no  promising,  no  lying." 

Being  a  party  to  the  passing  of  the  Reform 
Bill  as  a  final  measure  (so  far  as  we  were  con- 
cerned), I  never  could  support  any  essential 


CHAP. xv.       "BLUE  TO  THE  BACKBONE"  329 

change  of  that  great  measure,  and  would  sooner     1834. 
remain  out  of  Parliament  all  my  life  than  adopt 
that  sort  of  politics. 

This  doctrine  is  very  likely  to  keep  me  out  of 
Parliament,  but  a  man  may  live  and  not  be  an 
M.P.  "Hoc  sine  viximus  ante,"  up  to  thirty- 
three  years  of  age.  We  have  Reform,  and  it  is 
something  to  have  been  engaged,  and  deeply  too, 
in  bringing  about  that  great  change. 

January  17. — Old  Mr.  Arthur  Palmer  called,  a 
very  fine  old  gentleman  in  his  eightieth  year.  He 
rises  at  five  every  morning.  He  told  me  of  my 
grandfather,  that  going  to  canvass  him  for  some 
small  appointment,  he  said,  "  Sir,  you  are  "Whig 
and  your  father  before  you.  I  am  blue  to  the 
backbone.  Say  no  more  ;  I  will  not  vote  for  you, 
and  ask  me  no  more  questions,"  at  the  same  time 
pointing  to  the  door.  How  am  I  degenerated  ! 

PROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

February  4. — Parliament  met.  The  King's 
Speech  of  a  conservative  character,  and  promised 
little.  The  Opposition  in  the  House  of  Commons 
was  insignificant. 

February  20. — The  Session  has  been  much 
taken  up  with  the  only  serious  scrape  in  which 
Lord  Althorp  was  ever  involved.  I  allude  to 
his  imprudent  attack  on  certain  Irish  Members, 
whom  he  accused  of  saying  one  thing  in  private 
and  another  in  public. 

On  the  question  being  put  to  him  by  Mr.  Sheil, 

VOL.  iv  42 


330  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

L834.  Lord  Althorp  very  quietly  replied,  "  The  honour- 
able gentleman  is  one  of  them."  A  committee 
was  appointed  to  examine  into  the  general  truth 
of  the  charge,  and  Sheil  was  fully  acquitted. 
Lord  Althorp  made  an  apology  in  the  House  of 
Commons ;  hut,  heing  acquainted  with  the  whole 
transaction  and  the  origin  of  Lord  Al thorp's  error, 
I  did  not  think  he  made  so  manly  an  avowal  of 
his  mistake  as  he  might  have  done.  But  it  is 
a  good  deal  to  say  of  a  man,  who  played  so  con- 
spicuous a  part  as  Lord  Althorp,  that  he  made 
only  one  false  move  in  his  whole  career. 

FROM  DIARY. 

February  24. — Went  to  the  Queen's  Drawing- 
Room.  Introduced  for  the  first  time  to  Ada 
Byron;  she  is  a  large,  coarse-skinned  young 
woman,  hut  with  something  of  my  friend's 
features,  particularly  the  mouth.  I  was  exceed- 
ingly disappointed. 

March  8. — Dining  with  Sir  G.  Shee,  I  met 
Prince  Lieven,  Count  Bjornstjerne,  Dedel,  Biilow, 
Duke  of  Richmond,  Lord  Lansdowne,  Lord  J. 
Russell,  Littleton,  Spring  Rice,  P.  Thomson,1 
Sullivan,  Lord  Cawdor,  and  Lord  Palmerston ;  so 
that,  excepting  Lord  Cawdor,  I  was  the  only 
non-official  guest  present. 

I  had  a  long  conversation  with  Littleton.     He 

1  Charles  Edward  Poulett  Thomson  was  then  President  of  the 
Board  of  Trade.  He  was  created  Baron  Sydenham  in  1840,  and 
died  in  1841. 


CHAP.  XV.  MEN   AND    MINISTERS  331 

told  me  he  liked  the  Irish,  but  owned  that  he 
could  put  little  faith  in  any  Catholic,  almost  all 
were  Jesuits,  nor  could  he  find  much  help  in  any 
official  man.  Plunket  was  grasping  and  shabhy, 
rash  at  first  and  timid  afterwards.  He  told  me 
he  could  not  have  gone  on  with  Lord  Anglesey, 
vain  and  rash,  and  taking  no  counsel.  He  had  a 
scene  with  him  shortly  after  coming  to  Dublin. 
Of  Lord  Wellesley  he  spoke  in  high  terms.  He 
said  that,  if  he  had  quarrelled  with  O'Connell  at 
the  beginning  of  the  Session,  the  Estimates  would 
not  have  been  passed  yet,  but  the  quarrel  would 
soon  come. 

In  short,  I  see  it  is  with  him  as  it  was  with  me. 
He  is  not  master.  He  was  very  civil,  and  said 
that  he  was  sorry  I  had  not  gone  to  Ireland,  I 
should  have  just  suited  the  Irish. 

Poulett  Thomson  then  had  a  long  talk  with  me. 
Said  things  could  not  go  on  much  longer ;  they 
might  get  through  the  Session.  He  believed 
Tories  would  come  in  before  a  good  Government 
was  formed.  He  condemned  Graham's  conduct, 
and  as  usual  declaimed  against  the  Duke  of 
Richmond.  He  abused  the  Cabinet  Ministers  for 
making  no  arrangements  during  the  long  holidays, 
but  shooting,  etc.  He  thought  Althorp  the  best 
of  them,  but  condemned  his  indecision.  Althorp 
said  at  the  close  of  the  Session  that  nothing 
should  induce  him  to  meet  Parliament  again  as 
Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer,  yet  there  he  is. 

Poulett   Thomson   agreed   with   me    that,   if  a 


332  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1834.  dissolution  took  place  to-morrow,  the  present 
Ministry,  as  Ministers,  would  not  have  a  majority. 
I  see  that  he,  like  Littleton,  is  also  a  reluctant 
labourer,  hut  both  of  them  will  grumble  and 
go  on. 

March  9.— Dined  at  Lord  Holland's.  Lord 
Holland  told  me  that  Mr.  Fox  thought  shy 
men  were  fond  of  public  speaking.  I  said, 
Yes,  and  begin  with  Mr.  Pox  himself.  Lord 
Holland  said  that  was  true ;  Mr.  Eox  was  shy  in 
company  until  he  had  got  a  footing  there  by 
a  few  sentences.  Another  saying  Lord  Holland 
told  us  :  that  a  silent  man  was  not  to  be  trusted 
with  a  secret. 

March  13. — I  went  to  Lady  Grey's  assembly. 
Lord  Grey  was,  on  that  day,  seventy  years  of  age. 
I  said  a  few  words  to  him  on  the  occasion. 
"Yes,"  said  he,  "many  gone,  and  few  to  come." 
I  thought  I  had  more  than  once  remarked  of  Lord 
Grey  that  he  had  a  melancholy  turn  of  mind  ;  but 
I  had  not  then  learnt  that  this  belongs  to  old  age 
more  than  to  individual  despondency. 

March  20. — Lord  Tavistock  has  written  a  letter 
to  me  begging  to  know  what  I  think  of  the  pro- 
priety of  some  of  the  Cabinet  retiring  to  save 
their  character,  because  they  differ  from  Lord 
Grey  and  do  not  approve  of  his  timidity.  He 
begs  me  to  answer  him  without  showing  that  he 
has  asked  me  the  question.  I  did  answer  him, 
half  in  jest,  half  in  earnest,  and  did  not  recom- 
mend retirement. 


CHAP.  XV.      "  PHILOSOPHER   AND    STATESMAN  "  333 

Tavistock  sent  to  me  John  Russell's  apology  1834. 
for  appointing  the  Tory  Gleig  to  the  chaplaincy 
of  Chelsea.  I  do  not  think  it  wants  an  apology, 
but  I  admire  Tavistock's  comparing  his  brother's 
conduct  to  mine  last  year,  and  saying  that  it  is 
intelligible  only  to  very  pure  and  refined  minds. 
What  does  Russell  abandon?  what  self-sacrifice 
has  he  made  ? 

March  21. — Had  a  party  at  home.  Tweeddale, 
young  Russell,  Sir  M.  S.  Stewart,  Sir  E.  G. 
Wilmot,  Lord  Ormelie  and  his  pretty  sister-in-law, 
and  the  ever  delightful  Lady  Charlotte  Lindsay.1 

Lord  Grey  presented  the  Cambridge  Petition,  in 
favour  of  Dissenters.  The  Duke  of  Wellington 
opposed,  and  said  the  39  Articles  were  part  of 
Christianity  or  Christian  belief.  Chancellor  of 
University  of  Oxford  !  1  "  Brave  but  barbarous 
theologian,  in  fact  philosopher  and  obsolete 
statesman,"  as  the  Times  calls  him.  I  suppose, 
however,  the  Lords  will  be  of  the  Duke's  opinion, 
and  a  collision  will  take  place,  on  this  as 
other  questions,  e.g.  disfranchisement  of  corrupt 
boroughs. 

March  22.— Shamefully  idle  life!  Out  of 
joint,  can  apply  to  nothing.  I  try  to  read,  but 
in  vain. 

Dined  at  E.  B.  dive's,  and  had  a  great  deal  of 
talk  with  young  Stanley,  Clive,  H.  Tracy,  and 
Denison.  They  seem  to  think  friend  Ellice  is 

1  Daughter  of    Lord    North  (Earl  of    Guilford),  married  1800 
Lieut.- Col.  the  Hon.  John  Lindsay  ;  died  1849. 


334  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1834,    bidding    for    the    leadership    of     the    House    of 
Commons,  and  is  likely  to  get  it. 

March  23.— Dined  at  W.  Ord's.  Met  my  old 
friends  Lady  Jane  and  Lady  Eanny  Harley. 
Wofully  changed. 

FROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

April  18. — I  hear  great  apprehensions  are 
entertained  respecting  the  intended  procession  of 
the  Trades  Unions  with  their  petition  to  Lord 
Melbourne  in  favour  of  the  Dorchester  convicts. 
But  the  putting  down  of  the  attempts  at  insur- 
rection at  Lyons  and  Paris  has  tranquillised  the 
alarmists  in  London.  The  Government,  however, 
have  prepared  for  a  possible  commotion,  and  some 
light  guns  have  been  paraded  through  Hyde  Park 
to  St.  John's  Wood. 

April  21. — The  Trades  Unions'  procession 
marched  from  Copenhagen  Fields  to  Whitehall. 
I  saw  them ;  they  were  in  good  order,  six  abreast, 
and  were  about  two  hours  and  a  half  passing 
Whitehall.  They  were  quite  orderly,  and  did  not 
shout.  Dr.  Wade,  in  full  canonicals,  marched 
before  them,  accompanied  by  Owen,  the  philan- 
thropist, as  some  called  him.  The  petition, 
signed,  it  was  said,  by  100,000  names,  was  carried 
by  five  bearers  to  the  doors  of  the  Home  Office. 
Lord  Melbourne  refused  to  receive  it.  The  pro- 
cession moved  on  over  Westminster  Bridge,  and 
halted  in  the  open  space  in  front  of  the  new 
Bedlam.  After  learning  what  Melbourne's  de- 


CHAP.  XV.     THE   TRADES   UNIONS*    PROCESSION  335 

cision  had  been,  they  separated  quietly.  The  1834. 
police  and  the  soldiers  were  kept  out  of  sight ;  so 
were  all  the  special  constables ;  and  the  usual 
sentries  at  the  Horse  Guards  were  withdrawn. 
Joseph  Hume  was  foolish  enough  to  ride  down 
Parliament  Street  by  the  side  of  the  procession, 
but  was  not  noticed.  The  numbers  that  marched 
in  procession  were  calculated  at  from  25,000  to 
30,000.  Some  of  them  were  fine-looking  fellows, 
and  well-dressed ;  but  the  great  majority  very 
poorly  clad,  and  meagre-looking.  All  sorts  of 
absurd  rumours  were  afloat  as  to  these  poor 
people.  A  near  connection  of  mine  told  me  that 
15,000  of  them  carried  stilettoes  ;  I  did  not  believe 
that  15,000  stilettoes  could  be  found  in  all 
England — no,  nor  in  all  Europe. 

EROM  DIARY. 

We  kept  our  servants  at  home,  and  I  believe 
most  families  did  the  same,  but  when  I  went 
out  I  could  not  perceive  that  the  procession  had 
stopped  the  usual  business  of  the  streets.  This, 
however,  was  the  case  on  the  line  of  march,  so 
I  heard. 

Notwithstanding  this  display  of  physical  force 
has  passed  off  quietly,  a  repetition  of  such  scenes 
is  not  to  be  tolerated,  and  I  trust  something  will 
be  done  to  prevent  it.  I  think  some  of  my  Tory 
friends  are  half  sorry  that  blood  was  not  spilt ; 
anything  that  can  damage  the  Government  is 
acceptable  to  them,  and  they  now  affect  to  pity 


336  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1834.  the  poor  Unionists  as  being  deceived  by  Lord 
Melbourne;  others  amongst  them  assert  that  a 
great  part  of  the  procession  was  armed. 

April  22. — I  called  on  Lady  Holland,  and  had 
a  conversation  with  her  about  my  resignation 
of  last  April.  She  told  me  I  was  missed  every 
night  in  Parliament. 

I  called  on  Lord  Durham,  who  has  returned 
from  Paris.  He  seemed  much  pleased  with  his 
tour,  and  talked  as  if  he  had  really  been  negotiating 
some  commercial  treaty  on  behalf,  not  of  the 
English  Government,  but  the  English  people. 
He  said  that  when  the  Due  de  Broglie  went 
out,  the  great  anxiety  of  the  French  Cabinet 
was  to  know  who  would  be  most  acceptable  to 
England  as  a  successor  to  the  Duke,  and  that  his 
opinion  was  eagerly  asked.  Indeed,  to  listen  to 
my  worthy  friend,  you  would  think  he  was 
already  the  power  he  expects  to  be  in  the 
"  kingdom  come  "  of  the  little  Princess. 

O'Connell  brought  on  his  motion  in  the  House 
of  Commons  for  Repeal  of  the  Union.  Spring 
Rice,  in  an  admirable  speech  of  six  hours, 
established  his  reputation.  The  motion  was 
negatived  by  560  to  38. 

April  24. — I  read,  for  the  first  time,  Dumont's 
"  Souvenirs  sur  Mirabeau,"  the  most  interest- 
ing work  I  ever  read  on  the  subject,  and 
throwing  an  entirely  new  light  on  the  events 
and  characters  of  the  early  Revolution.  The 
selfishness,  trickery,  and  unscrupulousness  of 


CHAP.  XV  AT   THE   DUCHESS   OF   KENT'S  337 

almost  all  the  distinguished  men  of  that  period 
are  placed  beyond  doubt,  by  this  authentic  and 
impartial  writer.  The  Girondists  cease  to  be 
heroes.  Some  of  the  anecdotes  are  most  laughable, 
e.g.  the  attachment  of  Teutsch,  Mirabeau's  valet, 
to  his  master. 

April  27. — Dined  with  Sir  Francis  Burdett. 
I  met  Stanley  and  Lord  John  E/ussell,  and  had 
a  few  words  with  the  former  of  these  on  the 
Repeal  debate.  He  told  me  that  I  ought  to 
have  heard  the  set-down  that  my  friend  Bickersteth 
gave  our  Lord  Chancellor  in  the  argument  on 
behalf  of  the  London  University.  Brougham 
asked  him  what  would  be  the  consequence  if  the 
University  gave  degrees  without  a  charter. 
Bickersteth  replied,  "The  scorn  and  contempt 
of  mankind."  B.  was  counsel  for  Cambridge 
University  on  this  occasion. 

May  5. — I  went  to  the  Duchess  of  Kent's:  a 
very  large  party,  all  London  there.  Sir  John 
Campbell  said,  "  I  feel  for  you,"  alluding  to 
H.B.'s  caricature,  which  to  be  sure  is  ludicrously 
false  as  to  fact,  as  if  he  and  I  were  in  the  same 
predicament.  The  other  day  on  debate  on  Heron's 
placeman's  Bill  some  one  mentioned  me  amongst 
those  who  had  lost  their  seats  by  accepting  office. 
How  is  history  written !  Althorp  put  the  man 
right. 

May  8. — Met  the  Chancellor.  He  spoke  about 
my  coming  into  Parliament.  He  told  me 
Ministers  were  resolved  on  passing  the  Poor  Bill 

VOL.  iv  43 


338  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1834.  this  Session], in  spite  of  the  Times',  asked  me  to 
come  to  his  wife's  assembly  that  evening,  where 
there  was,  he  said,  to  he  a  party  "  choisi,"  of  which 
he  should  not  know  half  a  dozen.  What  can 
this  queer  man  mean  by  lying  about  such  a 
trifle  ?  He  reminds  me  often  of  what  Lady 
Bolingbroke  said  of  Pope:  he  will  play  the 
politician  about  cabbages  and  turnips.  I  went 
to  the  Chancellor's  and  had  a  pleasant  evening. 

May  9. — Edward  Ellice  dined  with  us  alone ; 
gave  me  an  account  of  Lord  Durham's  mission 
to  Paris,  and  the  unbelievable  vanity  of  the 
man;  but  it  is  true  they  were  both  very  much 
feasted,  and  that  King,  Ministers,  and  Deputies, 
all  pressed  round  them  to  assure  them  of  the 
good  intentions  of  Prance  towards  England. 

The  Poor  Law  Bill  read  a  second  time  and 
passed  by  an  enormous  majority,  300  and  odd 
to  28.  The  Times  is  furious  against  the  measure, 
and  falls  foul  of  Lord  Al thorp  accordingly. 

May  11. — The  Lord  Chancellor  and  Lord 
Advocate  of  Scotland  (Jeffrey)  called  and  read 
letters  from  Edinburgh  by  which  it  appeared  that 
the  electors  there,  on  the  expected  vacancy  by 
Jeffrey's  elevation  to  the  Bench,  had  resolved  to 
induce  me  to  be  candidate  for  the  representation 
of  their  city. 

Brougham  and  Abercromby  urged  me  very 
strongly  to  come  forward,  and  Jeffrey  explained 
the  Church  question,  which,  he  said,  was  all 
that  I  should  have  to  be  explicit  about.  But 


CHAP.  XV.  O'CONNELL    AND    IRELAND  339 

I  still  held  back,  and  concluded  by  saying  that     1834. 
I  wished  to  have  a  few  hours  to  consider  of  the 
matter. 

I  consulted  Lord  Tavistock,  whom  I  looked 
upon  as  more  of  a  friend  than  the  other  advisers, 
and  he  was  against  my  going  to  Edinburgh.  I 
therefore  wrote  to  Jeffrey  saying  positively,  no. 

I  took  a  walk  with  Burdett,  who  told  me  that 
he  had  opened  a  negotiation  between  O'Connell 
and  Lord  Grey.  O'Connell  told  Burdett  that 
there  was  now  an  opportunity  of  pacifying 
Ireland;  that  if  Ministers  would  but  adopt  his 
Tithe  Bill,  he  would  answer  for  quieting  the 
whole  country ;  and  following  up  a  hint  given 
him  by  Burdett,  he  confessed  his  own  position 
to  be  a  disagreeable  one,  and  he  would  not  be 
unwilling  to  take  office  under  Lord  Grey.  He 
would  prefer  being  Attorney-General,  in  which 
position  he  could  be  of  great  use  to  Government 
by  introducing  good  law  reforms.  Burdett  asked 
if  he  could  be  re-elected.  O'Connell  answered, 
"Not  for  Dublin,  but  for  Kerry,  yes."  They 
then  talked  of  his  becoming  Master  of  the  Rolls ; 
the  present  Master  is  an  old  man,  and  might 
make  way  if  raised  to  the  Peerage.  This  was 
the  substance  of  this  extraordinary  conversation. 

Burdett  went  to  Lord  Grey,  who  made  no 
difficulty  as  to  himself,  but  asked  how  Stanley 
would  or  could  sit  on  the  same  Bench  with 
O'Connell.  As  to  making  the  present  Master  of 
the  Bolls  a  Peer,  the  King  would  not  hear  of  it ; 


340  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1834.  and  the  negotiation  accordingly  failed.  Sir  Francis 
thought  it  was  scarcely  possible  to  pay  too  high 
a  price  for  the  pacification  of  Ireland,  which,  in 
his  opinion,  could  be  obtained  only  through 
O'Connell. 

Lord  Tavistock  told  me  this  day  that  the 
differences  created  by  Lord  John  Russell's  speech 
as  to  the  Appropriation  Clause  of  the  Irish  Church 
Revenues  Bill  had  been  made  up.  Eussell  told 
Tavistock  that  Graham  is  the  most  difficult  man 
to  deal  with  on  this  point.  Graham  met  Russell's 
argument  by  saying,  "  My  position  is  a  difficult 
one ;  I  am  a  believer  ! !  !  "  As  if  Russell  and  the 
Liberals  in  the  Cabinet  were  not;  and  as  if  the 
Appropriation  Clause  could  be  affected  one  way 
or  the  other  by  his  belief.  Indeed,  some  might 
think  the  Church  stronger  by  giving  up  super- 
fluous revenues.  This  man  cannot  be  a  Minister 
in  these  times  much  longer,  although  an  excellent 
chef  de  bureau. 

May  12. — Had  a  note  from  the  Chancellor 
insisting  on  my  going  to  Edinburgh,  enclosing 
letters  from  John  Murray  and  Gibson  Craig,  by 
which  it  appears  that  the  committees  who  brought 
in  Abercromby  and  Jeffrey  had  met,  and  come  to 
an  almost  unanimous  resolution  to  support  me, 
giving  as  reasons  my  independence,  and  character, 
and  talents,  etc. 

Charles  Wood  called  and  read  me  several  letters 
all  concurring  in  the  same  view,  and  stating  that 
Sir  John  Hobhouse  was  the  popular  man,  and 


CHAP.  XV.  NO    CANVASS   OR   PLEDGES  341 

that  he  alone  gave  the  Whig  party  a  chance  of  1834. 
success,  against  the  Tories  who  would  start  some 
one,  and  the  Radicals  who  had  started  Mr.  Ayton. 
But  mention  was  made  of  the  necessity  of  my 
going  down,  and  of  the  questions  which  would 
be  put  to  me  about  "  Corn  Laws,  Short  Parlia- 
ments, and  Ballot."  I  told  Wood  that  I  had 
made  up  my  mind  before  he  came,  but  that  this 
confirmed  me.  I  would  neither  canvass  nor 
pledge.  I  could  only  say  to  the  Edinburgh 
electors  what  I  had  said  to  the  Marylebone  and 
others :  if  I  am  chosen  I  will  do  my  duty,  but 
I  will  not  personally  interfere. 

After  Wood  went  away  the  Lord  Advocate 
came,  but  I  remained  firm.  Jeffrey  smiled  and 
said  I  was  not  like  the  bounty  of  Heaven,  to  be 
won  by  prayers ;  and  then  in  a  very  melancholy 
tone  told  me  they  did  not  know  to  whom  to  apply. 
I  was  the  only  man.  "  So  much  the  worse  for 
Scotland,"  said  I. 

On  a  review  of  what  I  have  done,  I  feel  sure 
I  am  right.  If  I  come  back  to  Parliament  it 
must  be  on  my  own  terms,  otherwise  I  should 
be  of  no  use. 

May  16. — I  wrote  a  letter  declining  to  be 
nominated  for  Edinburgh,  and  putting  my  re- 
fusal on  the  true  ground  which  I  had  stated  to 
John  Murray — namely,  a  dislike  to  canvass  and 
make  declarations  for  the  sake  of  votes,  as  incon- 
sistent with  my  former  practice  and  my  future 
free  agency.  I  had  some  difficulty  in  wording 


342  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1834.  this  letter,  as  the  resolutions  said  nothing  either 
of  canvassing  or  pledging,  so  that  I  was  obliged 
to  refer  to  my  private  information,  which  indeed 
was  decisive  enough  as  to  the  indispensable 
necessity  of  personal  intercourse,  canvassing,  and 
speechifying,  in  order  to  gain  the  election. 

I  think  that  so  far  as  personal  interest  is  con- 
cerned I  may  have  done  wrong  ;  so  far  as  character 
and  public  duty  are  to  be  consulted  I  have  done 
right.  I  should  have  carried  the  election  easily 
if  I  had  chosen  to  adopt  the  usual  means — I  mean 
the  cajolery  of  talking  over  the  good  citizens,  and 
making  what  Murray  in  his  letter  called  a  good 
strong  Liberal  speech — such,  for  example,  as  his 
own  to  the  Leith  people,  in  which  he  boasted 
of  having  voted  against  Ministers  on  the  Pension 
question,  for  which  boast  had  I  been  Lord  Grey 
I  would  have  stopped  his  appointment. 

May  27. — Mr.  Plumer  Ward  brought  on  a 
motion  that  the  revenues  of  the  Church  in 
Ireland  exceeded  its  wants,  and  that  Parliament 
may  deal  with  the  surplus.  This  motion  brought 
the  differences  in  the  Cabinet  to  an  issue.  After 
Mr.  Grote  had  seconded  the  resolution,  Al thorp 
rose  and  said  that,  whilst  Mr.  Grote  was  speaking, 
he  had  received  a  communication  which  made  it 
expedient  to  adjourn  the  debate  and  the  House 
until  the  following  Monday.  He  could  not  then 
tell  them  what  that  communication  had  been ; 
but  he  threw  himself  upon  the  generosity  of  the 
House,  whose  confidence  he  had  never  abused, 


CHAP.  XV.  THE    CABINET   IN    PIECES  343 

This  was  received  with  tremendous  cheering,  and 
the  House  adjourned. 

The  next  post  brought  the  news  of  the  resig- 
nation of  Stanley  and  Graham,  shortly  followed 
by  that  of  the  Duke  of  Richmond  and  Lord 
Ripon. 

May  29. — I  called  on  Lord  Durham,  and  found 
him  in  a  superlatively  sulky  humour.  He  told 
me  that  nothing  was  yet  finally  resolved  upon, 
but  that  up  to  this  moment  the  intention  was, 
if  possible,  to  patch  together  the  pieces  of  the 
broken  Cabinet,  by  shifting  and  shuffling,  and 
that  neither  he  nor  any  decided  Liberals  were  to 
be  taken  into  the  Government ;  most  of  the  papers 
strongly  recommending  the  introduction  of  him 
into  the  Cabinet,  for,  said  Lord  Durham,  "it  is 
useless  to  mince  matters  ;  I  am  the  only  man  the 
country  looks  to." 

Lord  Durham  told  me  that  he  believes  Lord 
Lansdowne  and  Lord  Holland  would  have  broken 
up  the  Government  had  they  not  been  assured 
that  the  new  Cabinet  should  be  remodelled  upon 
the  same  principles  as  the  last,  and  composed 
pretty  much  of  the  same  quiet  men.  He  (Durham) 
had  seen  Lord  Grey  that  morning.  He  would  not 
go  on  without  Lord  Lansdowne  and  Lord  Holland, 
but  Lord  Durham  did  not  think  him  in  reality 
more  inclined  to  be  Liberal  than  they  were,  for 
he  had  carte  blanche  to  do  what  he  pleased  and 
to  fill  up  all  vacancies  with  any  men  he  liked. 
This  confidence  is  personal  to  Lord  Grey,  and 


344  LONDON  CHAP.  xv. 

1834.     has  no  reference  to  politics.     In  that  respect  the 
King  is  as  conservative  as  anybody. 

The  Globe  of  the  evening  stated  that  Spring 
Rice  was  to  he  Colonial  Secretary  and  Ellice  in  the 
Cabinet.  Lord  Durham  thought  it  probable.  On 
the  whole  I  was  exceedingly  surprised  at  all  he 
told  me.  I  think  him  wrong  as  to  his  own  claims 
and  merits,  but  I  think  him  right  as  to  the  pro- 
bable result  of  the  arrangement  being  satisfactory 
to  no  one.  His  predictions  as  to  Brougham's 
future  pre-eminence  I  know  not  what  to  think 
of,  nor  am  I  quite  of  his  mind  as  to  the 
impossibility  of  forming  a  Tory  Government. 
One  thing  is  clear,  that  Lord  Durham  when  I 
last  spoke  to  him  was  decidedly  of  opinion  that 
if  there  should  be  a  split  in  the  Cabinet  he  would 
inevitably  be  applied  to.  He  was  wrong  there, 
and  may  be  now. 

I  went  to  Brooks's,  and  had  a  great  many 
nattering  hopes  expressed  that  I  should  be  in- 
cluded in  the  new  arrangements. 

May  30. — The  Chronicle  mentions  the  new 
appointments.  Spring  Bice  is  to  be  Secretary 
of  State,  Ellice  is  to  be  in  the  Cabinet,  Lord 
Auckland  First  Lord  of  the  Admiralty,  Lord 
Carlisle  Privy  Seal,  Lord  Mulgrave  talked  of 
for  the  Post  Office. 

At  Brooks's  there  was  great  discontent;  some 
thought  the  whole  a  juggle,  and  that  Government 
would  after  all  do  nothing  effective  respecting 
the  Irish  Church.  Lord  Sefton,  who  is  generally 


CHAP.  XV.          RADICALISM   AT   METHTJEN*S  345 

supposed  to  be  employed  as  a  sort  of  feeler  for 
Brougham,  spoke  to  me  in  rather  a  discontented 
tone,  but  Fazakerly,  "  the  simmering  saucepan  " 
of  Lansdowne  House,  approved  of  the  new 
arrangements.  Ellice's  appointment  staggered 
many.  Sir  G.  Philips  asked  me  if  I  thought 
Lord  Grey  knew  Ellice's  previous  City  history. 
I  am  not  astonished,  and  my  knowledge  of  that 
history  prevents  me  from  being  so. 

I  sat  with  my  friend  Dr.  Chambers,  recovering 
from  his  accident.  He  told  me  that  Dr.  Thorpe, 
the  Calvinist  preacher,  had  got  hold  of  Graham 
and  persuaded  him  that  he  would  go  to  hell  if 
he  consented  to  touch  the  revenues  of  the  Irish 
Church. 

I  hear  the  Duke  of  Richmond  said  if  he  had 
come  from  Paris  three  days  sooner  he  might  have 
prevented  the  rupture,  but  that  as  he  did  not, 
he  was  bound  in  honour  to  follow  Stanley  and 
Graham. 

May  31. — Dine  at  Methuen's:  a  strange  party 
to  meet  the  Lord  Chancellor :  Lord  Durham, 
T.  Duncombe,  little  Stanley,  young  Tynte, 
Sterling  of  the  Times,  Poulett  Thomson.  The 
party  was  talked  of  at  Brooks's.  It  was  easy 
to  foresee  Brougham  would  not  come,  nor  did 
he,  but  sent  an  excuse — illness,  a  lie.  Lord 
Durham  said  he  was  quite  right,  and  if  Brougham 
had  come  he  would  have  stayed  away.  We  had 
Radical  politics. 

After  dinner  I   had  a  long  talk  with  Poulett 

VOL.  iv  44 


346  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1834.  Thomson.  Agreed  as  to  new  arrangements.  By 
the  way  he  is  now  President  of  the  Board  of 
Trade ;  said  it  was  impossible  things  could  go 
on;  Ellice  ruined  by  his  elevation,  cannot  cajole 
and  lie  now  that  he  is  in  the  Cabinet.  He  threw 
Durham  over,  but  Poulett  Thomson  objected  to 
Durham's  extreme  vanity  and  pretensions.  He 
told  me  that  he  had  had  no  communication  with 
any  member  of  the  Government  on  subject  of 
new  arrangements  since  Wednesday  last.  He 
spoke  of  Lord  Grey  as  all  but  imbecile,  said  that 
Lord  Lansdowne  in  effect  was  Minister,  but  he 
agreed  that  the  new  Government  ought  to  have 
a  fair  trial  and  be  judged  by  their  heads. 

June  2. — Debate  in  House  of  Commons  on 
Ward's  resolutions.  The  previous  question  was 
moved,  and  a  Committee  of  Inquiry  into  the 
revenues  of  the  Irish  Church  was  promised. 
This  manoeuvre  succeeded,  though  Stanley  made 
a  violent,  and,  I  think,  unhandsome  speech ;  and 
Peel  treated  Ministers  with  contempt.  Yet  they 
and  theirs  all  voted  against  the  resolutions,  and 
Ward  had  only  124  in  his  minority.  Spring 
Bice,  Palmerston,  and  Ellice  made  pitiful  figures. 
There  was  little  to  explain  as  to  secession.  The 
retiring  Ministers  would  not  agree  to  the  Com- 
mission, and  went  out.  Al thorp  and  Bussell 
spoke  of  them  most  handsomely  and  almost 
wept.  Stanley  began  'in  the  tender  style,  but 
ended  in  a  high  Church  tone,  and  said  he  knew 
the  King  would  never  sanction  the  alienation 


CHAP.  XV.    CONVERSATION  WITH  LORD  TAVISTOCK     347 

of     Irish    Church    property.       I    hear     he    was     isu. 
tremendously   cheered,    yet   so   was   Althorp   the 
other  day  when  he  announced  in  reality  Stanley's 
retirement  from   office.      The   numhers  were  396 
against   124. 

June  3. — Campbell  and  J.  Murray  returned  for 
Edinburgh  and  Leith ;  my  substitute  by  a  large 
majority,  more  than  500.  The  Radical  strength 
much  overrated,  and  amounted  to  about  500. 
I  see  that  Campbell  called  himself  honest  John 
Campbell,  and  that  his  speeches  were  altogether 
such  as  I  would  not  have  made. 

June  4. — I  had  a  curious  conversation  at 
Brooks's  with  Lord  Tavistock.  He  told  me  that 
his  brother  John  had  actually  proposed  to  the 
Cabinet  a  Registration  Bill  similar  to  that  of 
W.  Brougham;  that  Brougham  had  decried  it 
and  stopped  it,  and  the  Marriage  Bill  was 
substituted  against  Russell's  will ;  that  after- 
wards Brougham's  brother  brought  in  the  Bill, 
and  received  the  support  of  Government.  Russell 
was  charged  by  the  Dissenters  of  Devonshire  of 
taking  their  money  to  carry  his  election  and 
betraying  them,  on  which  he  determined  to  make 
the  truth  known,  and  he  has  written  a  letter 
to  them.  Althorp  has  made  a  declaration  in 
the  House  of  Commons  which  absolves  him  from 
secrecy.  Lord  Tavistock  told  me  he  had  that 
morning  a  conversation  with  Lord  Holland  as 
to  making  Byng  a  Peer,  to  make  way  for  me 
in  Middlesex.  Lord  Holland  thought  it  very 


348  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1834.  desirable,  but  added,  "  "Why  not  make  Hobhouse 
a  Peer  ?  "  I  laughed  at  this,  and  said  my  use 
and  place  were  in  the  other  House. 

The  rumour  as  to  Byng  is  very  current.  I 
had  a  long  talk  with  him  on  the  subject,  and 
find  he  is  nothing  loth.  As  for  myself  I  cannot 
say  I  much  care  about  the  matter,  though  I 
feel  out  of  water  at  times.  Burdett  told  me 
he  now  regretted  very  much  I  had  not  gone  to 
Devizes.  Perhaps  that  is  to  be  regretted  for 
my  sake,  at  least. 

People  talked  this  day  of  the  Government 
going  out.  The  Tories  do  not  seem  eager ;  they 
are  content  with  abuse. 

June  6. — Debate  in  the  Lords  on  changes. 
Lord  Grey  spoke  well  about  the  feeling  of  the 
country  respecting  the  Irish  Church,  and  he 
was  right  in  telling  the  Tories  to  turn  him  out 
at  once  or  to  refrain  from  factious  complaint. 
The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  even  the 
Bishop  of  London,  declared  strongly  against  the 
Commission. 

June  20. — I  had  a  long  letter  from  Edward 
Ellice  telling  me  that  he  had  been  offered  the 
Admiralty  at  the  last  change,  also  that  he  went 
into  the  Cabinet  with  the  perfect  concurrence 
of  all  those  before  members  of  it,  even  the 
Chancellor,  who  had  not  spoken  six  words  to 
him  for  six  months. 

He  announced  a  cut  between  him  and  Lord 
Durham,  and  I  told  him  my  mind  freely  as  to 


CHAP.  XV.    QUARREL    OF    ELLICE   AND    DURHAM         349 

the  treatment  I  had  met  with  :  public  ingratitude     1834. 
and  private  neglect,  the  former  beginning  to  be 
less     manifest ;    whether    my    soi-disant    friends 
would  ever  make  amends  for  the  latter  remained 
to  be  proved. 

June  22. — I  had  a  long  talk  with  Ellice.  He 
told  me  that  there  must  be  a  break-up  in  the 
autumn,  and  probably  the  King  might  send  for 
the  Duke  of  Wellington  and  Peel.  They  might 
try,  and  their  Administration  could  not  attempt 
to  meet  Parliament  without  a  dissolution ;  a  dis- 
solution would  do  them  no  good,  and  they  would 
go  out ;  after  which,  good-bye  to  the  House  of 
Lords ! 

He  told  me  the  particulars  of  his  quarrel  with 
Lord  Durham.  Lord  Durham  suspected  Ellice 
of  writing  articles  in  the  Courier  and  Globe 
against  him.  He  remonstrated,  and  Ellice  assured 
him  the  articles  did  not  proceed  from  him.  Then 
came  a  most  abusive  article  in  the  Times  against 
Ellice,  making  use  of  phrases  which  Ellice  had 
dropped  in  private  conversation  with  Lord 
Durham,  and  so  fastening  the  authorship  on 
Durham.  On  this  Ellice  wrote  to  Durham 
telling  him  what  he  thought,  and  severing 
political  intercourse  with  him.  Durham  met  him 
and  cut  him.  Certain  notes  had  since  passed 
between  Lady  Durham  and  Ellice,  but  such 
was  the  quarrel  as  it  stood.  Ellice  was  very 
angry.  He  told  me  that  Lord  Durham  had 
offered  to  Lord  Grey  to  go  out  of  the  way  or 


350  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1834.  to  do  anything  to  facilitate  his  arrangements 
when  Stanley,  etc.,  should  leave  him ;  and  Lord 
Grey,  when  Stanley  did  go,  offered  the  embassy 
of  Paris  to  Lord  Durham,  who  rejected  it,  Ellice 
said  with  disdain;  and  thence  all  the  mischief 
and  abuse  of  the  new  Cabinet.  It  was  hinted 
that  the  Paris  embassy  would  be  a  step  to  the 
Foreign  Office,  as  Palmerston  would  not  remain 
long,  but  Durham  persevered  in  his  refusal.  As 
we  were  talking  up  came  C.  Wood  and  young 
Stanley,  whom  Ellice  suspects  of  having  forwarded 
Durham's  grumblings  to  the  Times. 

I  dined  with  the  Alexanders.  P.  Stewart 
was  there,  and  said  to  me  privately,  "You  must 
be  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer."  Perhaps  Ellice 
has  put  this  about,  but  the  admission  of  Aber- 
cromby  into  the  Cabinet,  in  preference  of  me 
on  the  pretext  of  my  not  being  in  Parliament, 
convinces  me  that  so  long  as  Althorp  is  in  power 
I  shall  not  be.  And  perhaps  it  is  better  so.  I 
doubt  my  capacity,  and  the  responsibility  is 
awful. 

June  23. — I  went  to  Lord  Durham's,  and  had 
a  very  long  conversation  with  him.  Just  as  I 
was  going  away  he  talked  of  his  rupture  with 
Ellice.  I  told  him  my  mind  freely.  He  showed 
me  Ellice's  letter,  who  certainly  had  not  qualified 
his  cessation  of  intercourse  by  the  word  "  political." 
He  spoke  in  terms  of  the  greatest  indignation  of 
the  attack  on  Ellice  in  the  Times,  and  altogether 
convinced  me  that  he  was  very  sorry  for  the 


.  XV.     DURHAM   AND   ELLICE    RECONCILED          351 

cut.     I  did  all  I  could  to  restore  the  peace,  and     1834. 
at  last  he  said,  "  Well,  what  shall  I  do  ?     I  will 
do  anything  you  tell  me ;   I  will  put  myself  in 
your  hands ;  I  will  give  you  carte  blanche" 

I  went  away  and  wrote  a  letter  to  Ellice 
urging  the  expediency  of  making  up  this  more 
than  civil  war,  telling  him  Durham  had  given 
me  carte  blanche,  and  asking  him  what  were 
his  terms. 

June  24*. — A  letter  from  Ellice  telling  me  he 
would  shake  hands  with  Lord  Durham,  and 
enclosing  one  from  Lady  Grey  very  piteously 
begging  him  to  be  reconciled  with  her  son-in-law, 
for  the  sake  of  her  daughter.  I  called  on  Lord 
Durham.  He  at  first  was  a  little  restive,  but 
at  last  seemed  glad  of  the  prospect,  provided 
they  were  to  be  good  friends  as  before.  I  was 
assured  by  Ellice  such  was  his  intention,  and 
left  him  as  he  was  going  across  the  way  to 
shake  hands. 

June  25. — There  is  a  report  Peel  is  willing 
to  undertake  the  Government,  and  has  said  so 
at  a  great  Conservative  meeting;  but  others 
deny  it,  and  say  he  used  quite  different  language. 
Again,  as  Henry  IV.  said,  "  How  is  history 
written  !  " 

June  27. — D.N.  Porty-eight.  Sunshine  and 
showers  with  thirty  tons  of  cut  grass  in  the 
meadow.  Typical  of  my  own,  the  ordinary  lot, 
on  which  the  recurrence  of  this  day  naturally 
induces  me  to  reflect. 


352  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1834.    PROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

July  3. — A  scene  occurred  in  the  House  of 
Commons  which  led  to  very  serious  consequences. 
The  principal  actors  in  it  were  Littleton,  the 
Irish  Secretary,  and  O'Connell.  These  gentlemen 
contradicted  each  other  repeatedly  "  upon  their 
honour  as  gentlemen." 

It  appears  Littleton  told  O'Connell  the  Irish 
Coercion  Bill  was  to  be  renewed  without  the 
most  severe  clauses,  and  that  Lord  Wellesley 
and  himself  were  against  these  clauses ;  adding 
he  told  him  this  as  a  great  secret,  in  order  to 
induce  him  to  mitigate  his  opposition  to  the 
Government.  Accordingly  O'Connell  withdrew 
his  Repeal  candidate  from  the  County  of  Wexford. 
He  afterwards  heard  the  Coercion  Bill  was  to 
be  renewed  much  as  before,  and  he  told  the 
secret  because  he  said  he  had  been  tricked  and 
deceived. 

Whatever  might  be  thought  of  this  public 
altercation,  there  could  not  be  two  opinions  of 
the  imprudence  of  Littleton ;  and  Lord  Grey, 
commenting  upon  the  transaction,  used  strong 
language,  and  said  he  was  no  party  to  it  and 
had  no  cognisance  of  it.  Stanley,  on  this  occasion, 
made  use  of  an  expression  which  "  told  "  against 
his  former  colleagues,  and  showed  that  he  was 
now  their  most  formidable  opponent.  He  com- 
pared them  to  the  "  thimble-rigging  cheats  of 
the  racecourse,"  and  said  they  were  robbers 
of  Church  property. 


CHAP.  XV.         RESIGNATION   OF   LORD   GREY  353 

July    6. — The    Irish    Secretary    tendered     his     1834. 
resignation   to-day,   but   Lord   Althorp    defended 
him   and   would   not   accept    it,    saying    he   was 
too  valuable  a  man  to  lose. 

July  7. — There  was  a  debate  on  the  Irish 
Coercion  Bill,  after  which  Lord  Althorp  himself 
resigned.  He  said  the  disclosures  made  by 
Littleton  took  the  ground  from  under  him,  and 
that  he  could  not  go  on  with  the  Coercion  Bill. 
Lord  Grey  sent  Althorp's  resignation  to  the  King, 
and  at  the  same  time  sent  in  his  own  resignation. 

Poor  Littleton  made  the  most  humiliating 
avowal ;  confessed  that  he  had  committed  two 
great  errors  —  communicating  with  O'Connell 
without  the  privity  of  Lord  Grey,  and  trusting 
to  a  man  who  was  not  trustworthy.  He  con- 
cluded by  protesting  that  he  had  acted  from 
good  motives,  and  was  much  cheered  as  he  sat 
down. 

Lord  Grey's  speech,  on  announcing  his  resigna- 
tion, was  most  powerful  and  affecting.  I  could 
not  resist  the  pleasure  of  writing  to  him,  and 
telling  him  what  I  thought  of  it. 

July  10. — In  this  confusion  the  most  notable 
occurrence  was  that,  in  the  Commons,  Lord 
Althorp  announced  that  the  Administration  was 
at  an  end;  and,  in  the  Lords,  Lord  Brougham 
declared  positively  that  the  Administration  was 
not  at  an  end;  for  no  one  had  resigned,  except 
Lord  Althorp  and  Lord  Grey,  and  he  himself 
certainly  had  not  resigned. 

VOL.  iv  45 


354  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1834.  The  Duke  of  Wellington  made  a  most  savage 
speech  in  the  Lords,  against  Lord  Grey,  for  com- 
paring the  state  of  the  country  now  with  that  in 
which  the  Duke  left  it  in  1830.  He  accused 
the  Whigs  of  having  spilt  more  blood  than  any 
men. 

July  14. — It  soon  became  known  that  the  King 
wished  to  form  a  Coalition  Administration,  in- 
cluding Peel,  Stanley,  and  the  Duke  of  Welling- 
ton ;  but  that  Lord  Melbourne  had  been  sent  for, 
and  informed  His  Majesty  that  such  a  Govern- 
ment was  not  practicable.  On  this  Lord  Durham 
sent  me  a  message,  through  my  brother,  to  say  that 
a  strong  Liberal  Government  would  be  formed, 
and  that  I  had  better  come  up  to  London  and 
be  in  the  way. 

July  15. — 1  had  a  letter  from  Lord  Tavistock 
informing  me  that  Lord  Althorp  had  consented 
to  remain  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  under 
Lord  Melbourne,  and  that  Lord  Grey  had  given 
his  sanction  to  the  arrangement.  Lord  Althorp 's 
consent  had  been  decided  by  an  address,  signed 
by  210  Members  of  Parliament,  presented  to  him 
by  Hume  and  O'Connell.  Lord  Tavistock  added, 
"  Althorp  is  miserable/' 

July  16. — I  had  a  short  note  from  Lord  Tavi- 
stock, saying  he  hoped  I  would  come  up  to  London 
immediately.  I  accordingly  went  to  London  with 
my  wife,  and,  walking  down  towards  Spring 
Gardens,  met  Edward  Ellice,  who  told  me  the 
King's  messenger  had  gone  down  to  Basildon,  with 


CHAP.  XV.     MINISTER   FOB   WOODS   AND   FORESTS       355 

a  letter  from   Lord   Melbourne,  offering   me   the     1834. 
Woods   and   Forests   and  a  seat   in   the   Cabinet. 
Ellice  told  me  that  Lord  Duncannon  was  to  be 
Home    Secretary,    with    a    peerage.      No    other 
changes  were  to  be  made. 

I  went  to  Lord  Althorp.  He  laughed,  as  we 
shook  hands,  and  asked  me  what  I  said  to  the 
proposal.  I  then  told  him  that  I  was  inclined 
to  accept  the  offer;  but  that  I  thought  I  could 
have  been  of  more  use  in  Ireland,  with  Lord 
Durham  as  Lord  Lieutenant,  to  which  I  knew 
that  Lord  Durham  would  have  consented.  Al- 
thorp urged  objections  personal  to  Lord  Durham, 
which  I  endeavoured  to  overrule,  but  in  vain. 

FROM  DIARY. 

Walking  home  from  Lord  Althorp 's  I  met  Lord 
Tavistock  and  took  him  to  Berkeley  Square.  He 
told  me  a  good  deal  of  what  I  knew  before.  The 
King  had  tried  to  get  Stanley,  the  Duke  of 
Wellington,  and  Peel  to  join  Lord  Melbourne 
and  his  friends.  Lord  Melbourne  had  written 
an  admirable  letter  showing  the  impracticability 
of  it ;  so  did  Stanley.  The  Duke  and  Peel  merely 
acknowledged  the  communication,  and  said  no 
more.  The  King  then  gave  Melbourne  carte 
blanche  without  restriction  of  persons.  Melbourne 
resolved  to  have  the  old  Cabinet,  but  Lord  Althorp 
was  indispensable.  Althorp  asked  two  hours  to 
consider,  and  after  a  most  painful  struggle  con- 
sented. He  then  announced  in  the  Commons  the 


356  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1834.  appointment  of  Lord  Melbourne  and  his  con- 
tinuance in  office,  and  adjourned  the  House  until 
Thursday.  Lord  Al thorp's  refusal  would  have 
thrown  the  country  into  the  hands  of  the  Tories. 

Dined  at  Brooks's.  After  dinner  came  the 
messenger  who  had  gone  to  Basildon  with  Lord 
Melbourne's  letter.  The  offer  was  couched  in 
very  handsome  terms,  saying  that  all  those  likely 
to  be  in  the  Government  concurred  in  it. 

I  then  went  to  Lord  Melbourne  and  after  some 
conversation  accepted  his  offer  of  the  Woods  and 
Forests  and  a  seat  in  the  Cabinet.  At  taking  leave 
he  said  to  me,  "  God  bless  you,  and  thank  you 
sincerely."  I  came  home,  and  reflecting  on  what 
I  had  done,  saw  nothing  to  disapprove.  I  believed 
the  Government  the  best  which,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, could  be  found,  and  could  give  no 
reason  on  public  grounds  for  refusing  to  join  it. 

Personally,  I  think  the  offer  creditable  to  me. 
No  conditions,  no  insisting  on  my  coming  into 
Parliament.  I  believe  I  am  the  first  man  not 
in  Parliament  who  ever  had  a  Cabinet  place 
offered  to  him. 

My  dear  wife  approved  and  was  happy.  I 
thank  God  that  her  health  is  visibly  improved. 
That  is  my  main  consolation. 

July  17. — I  had  a  very  confidential  conversation 
with  Lord  Lansdowne.  He  was  far  from  satisfied 
with  the  late  changes,  and  told  me  that,  if  his 
retirement  would  not  have  broken  up  Lord 
Melbourne's  Cabinet,  he  would  have  gone  to 


CHAP.  XV.        NOMINATED   FOR   NOTTINGHAM  357 

Bowood.  He  held  such  language  in  regard  to  1834. 
more  than  one  of  his  colleagues  as  induced  me 
to  think  he  would  not  remain  long  in  the  present 
Cabinet ;  and,  as  to  Lord  Durham,  he  told  me 
plainly  he  would  not  sit  in  the  Cabinet  with  him. 
He  considered  Lord  Melbourne's  Government  only 
as  a  continuation  of  Lord  Grey's.  I  said,  "  Un 
Fran9ais  de  moins.J)  "  Exactly  so,"  replied  he. 

PROM  BOOK,  "  RECOLLECTIONS." 

July  18. — I  accepted  an  invitation  to  stand  for 
Nottingham,  and  went  there  the  same  evening. 
I  refused  to  canvass  the  electors,  or  to  give  any 
pledges;  and  in  my  address  merely  referred  to 
my  past  life,  and  my  resolution  to  do  my  duty, 
as  I  had  always  done. 

July  19. — I  heard  that  Mr.  Eagle,  a  barrister, 
whom  I  knew  at  Cambridge,  was  to  be  started 
against  me  at  Nottingham ;  but  I  had  the 
satisfaction  of  hearing  that,  when  the  Ministerial 
changes  were  announced  by  Lord  Althorp,  in 
the  House  of  Commons,  on  Thursday,  the  17th, 
they  were  received  with  cheers. 

July  23. — The  nomination  took  place  in  the 
Exchange  Rooms.  A  murderer  was  executed  in 
the  morning,  and  the  crowd  that  attended  that 
spectacle  adjourned  afterwards  to  our  exhibition. 

The  clock  struck  twelve,  and  Mr.  Eagle's 
proposer  began  his  speech.  He  was  not  very 
rude ;  but  the  seconder,  a  Mr.  Boothby,  an  iron- 
founder,  made  the  most  insolent  attack  that  ever 


358  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1834.  had  been  made  even  upon  me,  who  had  heard 
so  much  of  that  sort  of  eloquence.  He  accused 
me  of  every  political  crime — apostacy,  baseness, 
love  of  place,  love  of  money,  cruelty,  and  what 
not — besides  telling  the  meeting  that  my  wife's 
sisters,  whom  he  called  my  sisters,  were  pensioners 
on  the  public.  All  this  I  bore  patiently,  because 
obliged  to  bear  it;  only  once  or  twice  I  said, 
"That  is  false."  The  fellow  went  on  reading 
charges  against  me  from  the  True  Sun,  and 
treating  me  as  the  worst  of  political  delinquents. 
Neither  Lord  Rancliffe,  who  proposed,  nor  Mr. 
Wakefield,  who  seconded  me,  was  heard  at  all. 
I  experienced  the  same  treatment.  I  pulled  out 
my  watch,  and  said  I  would  give  them  five 
minutes  to  become  silent ;  this  had  no  effect, 
and  the  Assessor  then  put  the  question  to  the 
electors.  The  great  majority  in  the  body  of  the 
hall  was  certainly  for  Eagle ;  on  the  hustings 
about  two  hundred  hands  were  held  up  for  me, 
and  away  we  came.  I  was  somewhat  annoyed 
to  find  that,  after  my  Westminster  opponents 
had,  apparently,  repented  of  their  injustice,  I 
was  the  object  of  this  blind  hatred  at  Nottingham. 
A  good  deal,  however,  of  the  opposition  was 
directed  against  the  Corporation,  who  were  my 
friends,  and  the  friends  of  the  Whig  party. 

The  election  lasted  two  days,  and,  at  the  close 
of  the  poll,  I  had  a  majority  of  1,025.  The 
decision  was  announced  in  silence,  when  the 
patriot  Eagle  exclaimed,  "  What,  not  a  greasy 


CHAP.  XV.  ELECTED   AT   NOTTINGHAM  359 

ruffian  to  throw  up  his  hat  ? "  He,  the  day  1834. 
before,  had  called  my  supporters  "  ragamuffins," 
and  said  that  nine- tenths  of  them  were  drunk. 
I  believe  one-twentieth  of  them  were  so;  and 
my  impression  then  was,  that,  although  the 
whole  constituency  was  far  inferior  to  that  of 
Westminster,  yet  there  were  two  or  three  hundred 
highly  spirited,  independent  men,  as  intelligent 
and  well-mannered  as  any  to  be  found  in  the 
kingdom. 

I  left  Nottingham  the  next  day. 

July  27.— I  took  my  seat  on  the  Treasury 
Bench  in  the  House  of  Commons,  and  felt  as  if 
I  had  never  been  out  of  Parliament.  I  had 
many  very  warm  greetings  from  friends  on  all 
sides;  but  the  pleasantest  was  that  which  was 
said  to  me  by  Henry  Warburton.  He  crossed 
the  House,  and,  coming  to  me,  said,  "  Don't  you 
recollect  that  the  last  thing  you  said  to  me, 
before  you  left  Parliament,  was  '  Honest  man  '  ?  " 
I  answered,  ((  Yes ;  I  do  recollect  it  well."  He 
rejoined,  "  That  is  what  I  say  to  you,  now  that 
we  meet  again." 

July  30. — I  began  my  Cabinet  life  under  circum- 
stances not  at  all  encouraging;  for  Ministers 
were  beaten  in  the  Commons  on  the  Irish  Tithe 
Bill,  by  an  amendment  proposed  by  O'Connell— 
we  were  only  34  to  85 — and  some  of  our  best 
friends,  such  as  Lord  Ebrington  and  Bonham 
Carter,  voted  against  us.  The  Lords  also  chose 
to  throw  out  our  Bill  for  admitting  Dissenters 


360  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1834.  to  the  Universities.  The  majority  was  above 
100,  although  Lord  Melbourne  and  our  Chancellor 
made  very  powerful  speeches  in  support  of  it. 


DIARY. 

July  31.  —  A  Cabinet  Council,  all  fifteen  present. 
Methought  the  masters  of  the  British  Empire 
round  a  table  looked  and  talked  much  like 
other  men. 

"We  deliberated  on  the  change  made  by  the 
vote  of  last  night  in  the  Commons,  and,  excepting 
Lord  Lansdowne,  no  one  seemed  to  care  much 
about  the  matter.  The  Premier  was  decisive. 
Lansdowne  is  an  Irish  landlord,  and  Althorp 
told  me  that,  whenever  his  pecuniary  interests 
interfere,  his  opinion  is  sure  to  be  swayed  by 
them.  I  thought  I  saw  an  air  of  discontent 
about  him,  and  told  Althorp  so.  Althorp  said 
that  Lansdowne  ought  not  to  be  there,  but  he 
would  not  go. 

August  2.  —  Dined  at  the  Chancellor's  :  a  large 
party,  chiefly  official  men.  After  dinner  Brougham 
amused  us  by  telling  the  events  of  the  interregnum 
in  May  1832,  and  what  passed  between  him  and 
the  King.  He  said  he  had  the  King's  consent 
in  writing  to  make  sixty  or  more  peers,  if 
necessary.  I  never  heard  a  great  man  talk  in 
this  way  ;  he  seemed  to  forget  that  the  King  was 
still  his  master.  Lord  Albemarle  and  the  Duke 
of  Argyle  and  Abercromby  stared,  so  did  I. 
The  Chancellor  received  and  took  leave  of 


CHAP.  XV.        THE    MINISTERIAL    FISH-DINNER  361 

me     this     night     most     tenderly :     "  Mon     cher     1334. 
collegue."     He  is  or  will  be  crazy,  that's  clear. 

August  5. — Irish  Tithe  Bill  read  a  third  time, 
after  a  spirited  debate.  No  division.  There 
were  not  five  out  of  120  against  us  in  the  whole 
House.  Will  the  Lords  dare  to  throw  out  the 
Bill  ? 

August  6.  — I  dined  at  Lord  Ebrington's.  Russell 
talked  over  Stanley  and  Graham  very  freely  in- 
deed. He  praised  the  former  as  a  frank,  funny 
man.  He  told  us'  that  the  day  of  Stanley's 
"  thimble-rig  "  speech  he  saw  him  just  come  off 
a  Tunbridge  Wells  coach.  Stanley  had  a  black 
on  his  eye  ;  Russell  remarked  it.  "Ay,"  said  he, 
"  I  shall  give  you  a  black  eye  before  the  evening 


is  over." 


Russell  said  that  Stanley  was  much  disappointed 
to  find  his  attack  on  Ministers  so  ill  received  in 
the  House,  and  has  been  since  ashamed  of  it. 
As  to  Graham,  Russell  spoke  of  him  in  very 
different  language — good  at  his  office,  that  is  all. 

August  9. — I  attended  the  Ministerial  fish-dinner 
for  the  first  time,  at  Black  wall.  There  were  thirty- 
seven  of  us  present,  and  we  had  a  good  deal  of 
clumsy  merriment  about  the  late  changes.  At- 
torney-General Campbell  tried  to  be  waggish  about 
the  Lord  Chancellor's  letter  to  Lord  Wellesley. 
Poor  Littleton  sat  opposite  to  him ;  the  jokes  were 
no  laughing  matter  to  him. 

I  took  and  carried  back  Abercromby,  who  seems 
a  very  excellent  man.  He  spoke  much  in  praise 

VOL.  iv  46 


362  LONDON  CHAP.  XV. 

1834.  of  Brougham,  and  said  that  the  longer  he  was 
known  the  better  he  was  liked. 

Abercromby  said  that  Brougham,  in  spite  of 
his  abuse  of  friends  and  enemies,  was  in  the  long 
run  just  to  both. 

August  10. — We  had  a  Cabinet  to  consider  the 
King's  Speech.  Lord  Melbourne  read  his  draft 
of  it.  Brougham  proposed  a  few  verbal  altera- 
tions. Dining  at  Holland  House,  with  the  Duke 
of  Devonshire,  the  Lord  Chancellor,  Tom  Moore, 
and  Dedel,  the  Dutch  Minister,  our  conversation 
turned  chiefly  on  the  probable  fate  of  our  Irish 
Tithe  Bill  in  the  Lords.  Would  the  Opposition 
in  that  House  throw  out  the  Bill  ? 

August  11. — Attended  discussion  on  Tithe  Bill 
in  the  Lords.  House  very  full ;  heard  Brougham 
and  part  of  Wellington,  and  Bishop  of  London. 
The  first  very  amusing ;  the  next  bitter  bad ;  the 
last  temperate  but  decisive.  He  stated  that  the 
Irish  clergy  preferred  the  rejection  of  the  measure. 
I,  for  the  first  time  in  my  life,  was  on  the  throne 
at  the  division.  Bill  rejected  by  67 — less  than 
expected. 

August  12. — Ministers  not  at  all  dejected  by  last 
night,  only  anxious  as  to  probable  consequences  in 
Ireland.  I  feel  sure  that  Lord  Melbourne  is  just 
the  man  for  his  great  place. 

August  13. — I  had  an  audience  of  the  King,  who 
told  me  he  had  seen  the  Commander-in-Chief  and 
Quartermaster-General  before  me,  because  he  had 
little  to  say  to  them  and  much  to  me.  Had  a 


CHAP.  XV.         THE   KING   AND   THE    PEOPLE  363 

long  talk  aboui  Buckingham  Palace,  which  he  1834. 
told  me  he  had  never  seen.  Said  Duncannon  had 
crotchets  about  it;  that  Sir  John  Sehright  had 
told  him  the  other  day  it  was  a  dog-hole.  He  said 
he  lived  at  Windsor  to  please  the  public,  other- 
wise would  have  preferred  Bushy  Park.  .  .  .  He 
consented  that  part  of  Regent's  Park  should  be 
opened  for  pedestrians. 

August  15. — Went  at  one  to  St.  James's.  King 
held  a  Council — Ministers,  Commander-in-Chief, 
Steward  of  Household,  etc.  Lord  Lansdowne 
read  some  formal  papers  for  approval.  In  one 
he  called  Duncannon  Duncan,  at  which  a  great 
laugh  from  King  and  Council !  !  !  H.M.  was  in 
great  good  humour,  the  dust  still  on  his  coat  from 
his  Windsor  journey.  Called  P.  Greville  Ms  dear 
friend.  Melbourne  then  read  the  Royal  Speech, 
and  we  separated  in  a  hurry  to  change  our 
clothes,  and  get  to  the  House  of  Commons  in 
time  to  hear  it. 

The  King  read  the  Speech  well,  but  more  feebly 
than  usual,  I  thought. 

I  saw  him  return.  The  crowd  received  him 
in  dead  silence,  and  no  hats  were  pulled  off, 
except  Littleton's  and  mine.  Charles  Ross,  an 
ex-Lord  of  the  Admiralty,  remarked  that  in  the 
days  of  his  Tory  friends  all  the  crowd  pulled  off 
their  hats.  It  was  the  fashion  then  to  impute 
every  change  for  the  worse  to  the  Reform  Bill 
and  the  Reform  Ministers. 


TABLE   OE   ADMINISTRATIONS   DURING  THE 


Prime 
Minister. 

Chancellor  of 
Exchequer. 

Foreign 
Secretary. 

Secretary  -at-  War. 

1812. 

June  9. 

Earl  of  Liver- 

ISLVansittartto 

VI.  of  London- 

V1 Palmerston. 

pool. 

1823,  retired  ; 

derry  to  1822, 

then    F.   J. 

died;   then 

Robinson. 

G   e  o  r  g  e 

Canning. 

1827. 

April  24. 

G.  Canning. 

G.  Canning. 

Earl  of  Dudley. 

V*  Palmerston. 

1827. 

Sept.  5. 

Ld  Goderich. 

J.  C.  Herries. 

Earl  of  Dudley. 

V1  Palmerston. 

1828. 

Jan.  25. 

D.  of  Welling- 

H. Goulburn. 

Earl  of  Dudley. 

V1  Palmerston, 

ton. 

1828;LdHar- 

dinge,    1828- 

30  ;     Ld    F. 

L  e  v  e  s  o  n 

Gower,  1830. 

1830. 

Nov  22. 

Earl  Grey. 

V*  Althorp. 

V*  Palmerston. 

C.  W.  Wynn. 

Sir  H.  Parnell. 

E.  Ellice. 

Sir  J.  C.  Hob- 

house,   1832- 

1833. 

1834. 

July  17. 

V1  Melbourne. 

V1  Althorp. 

V1  Palmerston. 

E.  Ellice. 

PERIOD   COVERED   BY  THESE   VOLUMES 


Home  0£ice. 

Lord 

Chancellor. 

Admiralty. 

Chief  Secretary 
for  Ireland. 

Board  of  Control. 

V*      Sidmouth 

Ld  Eldon. 

V*  Melville. 

D.  of  Richmond 

E.  of  Bucking- 

(H. Adding- 

till  1813;  Earl 

ham  s  h  i  r  e  , 

ton)  till  1821, 

Whitworth 

1812-16; 

retired  ;  then 

1813-17;Earl 

died. 

Sir  R.  Peel. 

Talbot,  1817- 

G.    Canning, 

22  ;  Marquis 

1816-21,    re- 

Wellesley, 

signed. 

1821-8. 

H.  Bathurst, 

1821-2. 

C.  W.  Wynn, 

1822-8. 

Sturges  Bourne. 

Ld  Lyndhurst. 

D.  of  Clarence. 

M.  Wellesley. 

C.  W.  Wfynn. 

Marquis  of 

Ld  Lyndhurst. 

D.  of  Clarence. 

M.  Wellesley. 

C.  W.  Wynn. 

Lansdowne. 

Sir  R.  Peel. 

Ld  Lyndhurst. 

D.  of  Clarence. 

M.  of  Anglesey, 

V1  Melville, 

V1  Melville. 

1828. 

1828. 

D.    of    North- 

Lord  Ellen- 

umberland, 

borough, 

1829-30. 

1828-30. 

V4    Melbourne. 

Ld  Brougham. 

Sir  J.  Graham. 

M.  of  Anglesey, 

C.  Grant. 

1829. 

M.  Wellesley, 

1829-33. 

Sir  J.  C.  Hob- 

house,  March 

and    April, 

1833. 

V'  Duncannon. 

La  Brougham. 

E.  of  Auckland. 

E.  Littleton. 

Lord  Ellen- 

borough. 

INDEX 


Abercromby,  Mr.,  iv.  361 

Aberdeen,  Lord,  iii.  68,  272,  284, 
iv.  25 

A'Court  (Minister  at  Madrid),  iii. 
178 

Adair,  Robert,  iv.  2 

Addison's  "  Freeholder,"  iii.  234 

Albemarle,  Lord,  Master  of  the 
Horse,  iv.  108 

Alexander,  Emperor  of  Russia, 
at  Chelsea,  Portsmouth,  and 
Woolwich,  iii.  27  ;  and  Napo- 
leon in  1814,  iii.  143 

Algiers,  captured  by  the  French 
(1830),  iv.  39 

Alien  Act,  the,  iii.  131 

Allen,  Mr.,  iv.   11 

Almack's,  iii.  201 

Althorp,  Lord,  iii.  32,  233,  iv. 
64 ;  opposes  additional  pension 
for  Duke  of  Clarence,  iii.  169  ; 
unites  the  Whig  Opposition, 
iv.  36 ;  and  Reform,  iv.  75  ;  the 
author's  independence  of,  iv. 
81 ;  announces  Reform  measure 
(1831),  iv.  82,  88;  altercation 
with  Peel,  iv.  105  et  seq,  •  his 
patience,  iv.  123 ;  offers  the 
author  the  Secretaryship  at  War, 
iv.  165 ;  on  the  creation  of  Peers, 
iv.  178  etseq.,  194,  195,  209  ;  his 
repugnance  to  office,  iv.  180, 
189  ;  his  great  influence,  iv.  192  ; 
receives  freedom  of  the  City, 
iv.  247  ;  on  Irish  Church  Re- 
form, iv.  283  et  seq. ;  on  the 
deadlock  in  the  Cabinet  (1833), 
iv.  295  ;  and  author's  resigna- 
tion of  Irish  Secretaryship,  iv. 
306  ;  his  attack  on  Shiel  and 
other  Irish  Members,  iv.  329 
Alvanley,  Lord,  iii.  10,  31,  112 
(footnote),  272  ;  at  Boyle  Farm, 
iii.  206 


American    despatches    unopened 

(1806),  iv.  11 

Anglesey,  Lord,  becomes  Master- 
General  of  the  Ordnance,  iii. 
185;  and  the  Duke  of  Wel- 
lington's reticence,  iii.  222 ; 
Littleton's  opinion  of,  iv.  331 

Antiquarian  Society,  iii.  13 

Arbuthnot,  Mr.,  to  be  Chancellor 
of  the  Duchy  (1828),  iii.  272; 
iv.  37 

Arguelles  (Spanish  statesman), 
iii.  15,  178 

Army  Estimates  (1832),  the 
author  brings  in  the,  iv.  182 

Army,  proposed  reductions,  iv. 
183,  185,  186,  193,  194,  265 

Army,  proposed  reforms,  iv.  267, 
274  ;  new  Pension  Warrant,  iv. 
280,  282  ;  abolition  of  sinecures, 
iv.  285,  289  ;  reduction  of  garri- 
son appointments,  iv.  286et8eq., 
290  ;  proposed  Board  to  con- 
solidate Civil  Departments,  iv. 
328 

Asgill's  life  saved  by  the  Queen 
of  France,  iii.  23 

Asiatic  Society,  iv.  275 

Athemeum  Club,  iii.  21 

Attenborough,  Dr.,  iii.  69 

Attwood  (of  Birmingham),  iv.  28, 
191 

Auchmore  (Loch  Tay),  iii.  26 

Auckland,  1st  Lord,  negotiates  the 
Coalition,  iii.  249 

Auckland,  2nd  Lord,  made  First 
Lord  of  the  Admiralty,  iv.  344 

Badajoz,  the  slaughter  at,  iii.  82 
Baillie,  Dr.,  on   Wm.   Pitt's  last 

words,  iii.  21 

Bank  Act,  the  (1826),  iii.  125 
Bankes,  Mr.  W.,  iii.  92,  119,  125, 

314,  iv.  104,  120 


367 


368 


INDEX 


Bankes,  Mr.  Henry,  iii.  302,  304 
Baring,  Mr.    Alexander,  iii.    190, 
iv.  90,  91,  104,  223,  225;  on  the 
failure  of  Wellington's  attempt 
to  form  a  Government  (1832), 
iv.  228  et  seq. 
Barnes,  Mr.,  of  the  Times,  iv.  Ill, 

261 

Barry,  Byron's  banker,  iii.  50  ;  his 
account  of  Byron  at  Genoa, 
iii.  151  ;  Byron's  letters  to,  iii. 
152  etseq. 

Bartolini,  his  bust  of  Byron,  iii.  8 
Basildon  Park,  iv.  325 
Bathurst,  Lord,  iii.  117,  iv.  13 
Bavaria,  King  Maximilian  Joseph 

of,  iii.    148 
Bayley,  Miss,  iv.  158 
Bear  Club  (Devizes),  iii.  116 
Bedford,  6th  Duke  of,  iii.  164 
Bedford,  7th  Duke  of,  iii.  162  ;  and 

Catholic  question,  iii.  169 
Beefsteak  Club,  iii.  104,  236 
Belgium,    revolutionary    struggle 
in  (1830),  iv.  51  et  seq.,  79;  de- 
nounced in  King's  Speech,  iv. 
55  et  seq. 

Belgrave,  Lady  Elizabeth,  iii.  24 
Belgrave,  Lord,  iii.  133,  264 
Belhaven,  Lord,  iv.  100 
Bentinck,  Lord  William,  iii.  208 
Bentinck,  Lord  George,  iv.  162 
Beresford,   Lord,    appointed   Lt.- 
General  of  the  Ordnance,  iii.  12 
Ber'ri,  Duchess  of,  iv.  119 
Berwick,     governorship     of,     iv. 

290 

Best,  Lord  Chief  Justice,  iii.  219 
Bex  (Rhone  Valley),  iii.  289 
Bickersteth,     Mr.     Henry     (Lord 
Langdale),  iii.  72,  207  ;  Copley's 
opinion    of,    iii.    220 ;     dislikes 
Brougham,  iv.  270,  337 
Blandford,     Lord,     his     Reform 
resolutions,   iii.    322 ;     his    Bill 
(1830),  iv.  9 
Board  of  Trade,  debate  on  salary 

of  President,  iii.  129 
Bognor,  iii.  139 
Borghese,  Prince,  iii.  208 
Boswell,  Sir  A.,  iii.  128 
Bourbons,  prospects  of  the  (1822), 

iii.  9  ;   support  of  the,  iii.  17 
Boyd    Alexander,    Mrs.   (author's 

sister),  iii.  40,  281,  iv.  13 
Boyle  Farm,  Fete  at,  iii.  206 
Brancaleone,    Contessa    (author's 
Bister),  iii.  40,  291 


Brenton,  Mr.,  and  Byron,  iii.  153 
Brighton,  iv.  48 
British  Museum,  iii.  20 
Brodie,  Sir  Benjamin,  iv.  122 
Brougham,  H.  (Lord),  iii.  28  ;  un- 
popular, iii.  32  ;  on  Reform,  iii. 
51  ;  on  education,  iii.  85  ;  on 
Catholic  Relief,  iii.  97,  260  ;  at 
the  Beefsteak  Club,  iii.  104, 
236;  on  religion,  iii.  114;  on 
J.  Hume,  iii.  159  ;  prepares  his 
speeches,  iii.  177  ;  his  diary, 
iii.  223;  his  vagaries,  iii.  232; 
on  law  reform,  iii.  241  ;  Lord 
Holland's  recollections  of,  iii. 
252 ;  on  Huskisson's  resignation, 
iii.  276 ;  on  the  Wellington 
Government,  iv.  3,  7  ;  on  news- 
paper reporters,  iv.  6  ;  and  the 
Duke  of  York's  debts,  iv.  7  ; 
scene  with  Peel,  iv.  35  ;  his  Re- 
form motion,  iv.  60 ;  becomes 
Lord  Chancellor,  iv.  71,  72,  73, 
74;  on  the  Reform  Bill  (1831), 
iv.  82 ;  on  Lord  Chancellor's 
salary,  iv.  85 ;  makes  mischief, 
iv.  93  ;  congratulates  the  author 
on  taking  office,  iv.  170  ;  Lord 
Durham's  opinion  of,  iv.  257  ; 
Macaulay's  opinion  of,  iv.  327  ; 
and  Bickersteth,  iv.  337 ;  his 
wife's  assembly,  iv.  338  ;  on  the 
interregnum  of  May  1832,  iv. 
360 
Buckingham,  Duke  of,  iii.  210, 

iv.  39 

Buckingham,  James  Silk,  iv.  46 
Buckingham    Palace,    iii.   20,    iv. 

363 

Budget  of  1831,  iv.  84,  86 
Buonaparte,  Lucien,  iv.  316 
Buonaparte,  Napoleon,  advised  by 
Lallemand  not  to  go  on  board 
the  Northumberland,  iii.  16 ; 
O'Meara's  Memoir,  iii.  17  ;  Las 
Casas'  "Memorial  of  St.  Helena," 
iii.  18  ;  Lavalette  on,  iii.  141  et 
seq.  ;  as  a  Captain  at  Toulon  in 
1793,  iii.  155  ;  and  Flahaut,  iii. 
164  ;  Bourienne's  Memoirs,  iv. 
17 

Buonarrotti,  Cosimo,  iii.  295 
Burdett,  Sir  F.,  iii.  18,  19,  22,  37  ; 
at  Byron's  funeral,  iii.  68  ;  and 
the  Catholic  petition,  iii.  85 ; 
and  the  Catholic  Bill,  iii.  93,  97  ; 
anecdote  of  Fox  and  Sheridan, 
iii.  121  ;  on  Byron  Monument 


INDEX 


369 


Committee,  iii.  125 ;  returned 
for  Westminster  with  the  author 
(1826),  iii.  137;  on  Canning's 
speech  on  the  new  world,  iii. 
1 60  ;  and  the  Catholic  question, 
iii.  170,  173  ;  supports  Canning, 
iii.  186,  191 ;  begs  the  Duke  of 
Devonshire  to  do  the  same,  iii. 
198 ;  question  of  peerage  for,  iii. 
208,  209  ;  on  the  Navarino 
debate,  iii.  242  ;  and  the  West- 
minster election  (1830),  iv.  29, 
30,  44 ;  on  the  French  revolu- 
tion of  1830,  iv.  46 ;  on  the  state 
of  the  country  (1830),  iv.  74; 
Westminster  election  (1831), 
iv.  109 ;  and  the  "  National 
Union,"  iv.  147,  151  ;  on  the 
author's  resignations,  iv.  307, 
319  ;  negotiates  between  Grey 
and  O'Connell,  iv.  339 

Burke,  Rt.  Hon.  E.,  iii.  14  ;  Lord 
Carnarvon's  anecdotes  of,  iii. 
104  et  seq. 

Byron,  Capt.  George,  iii.  35  et 
seq.,  347,  iv.  237 

Byron,  Lady,  iii.  39,  347 

Byron,  Lord,  at  Pisa,  iii.  2  et  seq.  ; 
and  the  Carbonari,  iii.  3,  6  ;  at 
Ravenna,  iii.  4 ;  and  Scott,  iii. 
7  ;  Bartolini's  bust  of,  iii.  8  ; 
his  friendship  for  Moore,  iii.  15  ; 
and  the  cause  of  Greece,  iii.  33  ; 
details  of  death  of,  iii.  35  etseq., 
53,  57  et  seq.,  iv.  20;  the 
Times  on,  iii.  41 ;  his  genius  for 
friendship,  ibid. ;  the  saviour  of 
Greece,  iii.  43  ;  Sir  F.  Adam's 
testimony,  ibid.  ;  his  will,  iii. 
47,  49,  65;  and  Sheridan,  iii. 
48  ;  Hanson's  anecdotes  of,  iii. 
50  ;  his  body  reaches  England 
in  the  Florida,  iii.  56,  64,  66  et 
seq.  ;  his  regret  at  having 
written  "  Cain "  and  "  Don 
Juan,"  iii.  59 ;  his  career  in 
Greece,  iii.  60  et  seq.  ;  his 
funeral,  iii.  68  et  seq.  ;  his  letters 
and  MSS.  lodged  at  Kinnaird's 
Bank,  iii.  114  ;  Moore's  Life  of, 
iii.  124,  134  et  seq.,  206,  227  ; 
monument  to,  ibid.  ;  his  home 
at  Genoa,  iii.  151  ;  his  letters  to 
Barry,  ibid,  ;  to  Leigh  Hunt,  iii. 
133  ;  to  Lady  Melbourne,  iii. 
173,  227 ;  monument  to,  iii. 
255,  277,  279,  iv.  2  ;  destruc- 
tion of  his  Memoirs,  iii.  327  et 

VOL.    IV 


seq.  ;    Pietro  Gamba's   account 
of  the  last  illness  of,  iii.  365  et 
seq.  ;     sale    of    his    copyrights, 
iv.     9 ;      the    separation     con- 
troversy, iv.  17 
Byron,  Miss  Ada,  iv.  330,  367 
Byron,Mrs.  (Lord  Byron's  mother) 
iii.  49 

Cadiz,  taken  by  French  (1823),  iii. 
28 

Calcraft,  Mr.  John  (M.P.),  iv.  130 
(note) 

Campbell  (Attorney-General),  iv. 
361 

Campbell,  Sir  Colin  (1828),  iii. 
255 

Campbell,  Thos.  (the  poet),  iv.  17, 
23,  157 

Campbell  (the  sculptor),  iv.  321 

Canning,  Charles  (afterwards 
Lord),  iii.  181 

Canning,  Mr.,  iii.  11,  12,  13  ;  as  a 
young  man,  iii.  251 ;  on  wars  be- 
tween France  and  Spain  (1823), 
iii.  16  ;  compared  with  Castle- 
reagh,  iii.  17 ;  on  supporting 
the  Bourbons,  iii.  17,  18 ;  in 
debate,  iii.  21  ;  smuggling  of  his 
embroidered  coat,  iii.  30 ;  un- 
popularity of,  iii.  32 ;  on 
Wellesley  and  Hastings,  iii.  44  ; 
and  the  Foreign  Office,  iii.  49  ; 
and  the  Catholic  Association 
debate,  iii.  87  ;  and  the  Catholic 
Relief  Bill,  iii.  96,  114;  his 
policy  in  the  Cabinet  on  the 
same,  iii.  104  ;  on  the  dread  of 
innovation,  iii.  127  ;  on  Portu- 
guese affairs  and  the  "new 
world,"  iii.  159  ;  illness  of,  iii. 
168,  177  ;  his  Corn  Law  plan, 
iii.  173;  "  Toby-Phillpott ' ' 
speech,  iii.  175  ;  his  personality, 
iii.  179;  becomes  Prime 
Minister,  iii.  183 ;  on  the 
Catholic  question,  iii.  188  ;  at- 
tacks on  his  family,  iii.  189,  194, 
213;  opposed  to  Reform,  iii.  191; 
brings  in  his  Budget,  iii.  199; 
author  declines  invitation  to 
dine  with,  iii.  205,  209  ;  his  last 
illness,  iii.  212  ;  his  death,  iii. 
214;  character  of,  iii.  215,  217, 
239;  his  funeral,  iii.  218;  the 
pension  to  his  family,  iii.  261 

Canning,  Mrs.,  created  a  Vis- 
countess, iii.  236 

47 


370 


INDEX 


Canning,    Stratford,    on    Turkey, 

iii.  253 
Canova,    his    death,    iii.    9 ;     his 

interviews  with   Napoleon,   iii. 

122 
Canterbury,        Archbishop        of, 

against     Irish     Church     Com- 
mission, iv.  348 
Carbonari,  the,  iii.  3,  4 
Cardington,  iii.  18 
Carlisle,  Lord,  iii.    68,    207,   210, 

iv.  344 

Carnarvon,  Lord,  iii.  104,  136 
Castlereagh,  iii.  17,  204.     See  also 

Londonderry 
Catholic      Associations,      debates 

(1825),  iii.  35  et  seq.,  91  ;  (1829), 

iii.  301,  303  et  seq.  ;  dissolution 

of  the,  iii.  305 
Catholic   Emancipation,   iii.    169, 

113  et  seq.,  260,  278 
Catholic     Relief     Bill    of     1825, 

drafted  by  O'Connell,  iii.   96; 

debate  on,   ibid,   et  seq ;    third 

reading,  iii.  98 ;  debate  in  House 

of  Lords,  iii.  99 
Catholic  Relief  Bill  of  1829,  iii.  301 

et  seq.  ;    passes    the    Commons, 

iii.  314  ;  debate  in  the  Lords,  iii. 

315;  bill  passed,  iii.  3 16;  receives 

Royal  assent,  iii.   318  ;  Charles 

X.'s  opinion  on,  iv.  51 
Cavendish,  Lord  George  and  Lord 

John,  iii.  138 
Chambers,  Dr.,  iv.  345 
Chantrey  (the  sculptor),  iii.   230, 

iv.  126,  321 

Charlemont,  Lady,  iv.  100,  197 
Charles  I.,  his  orders  for  the  arrest 

of  Prince  Rupert,  iii.  13 
Charles  X.  in    1829,  iii.  299;    in 

1830,  iv.  5 ;  deposed,  iv.  43  ;  at 

Lulworth,  iv.  51 
Charlotte,  Princess,  iii.  163 
Chateaubriand,    iii.     156,    292   et 

seq. 
Chelsea  Hospital,  King  William  IV. 

visits,  iv.  245 
Chester,    Bishop    of    (Blomfield), 

iii.  258 

Chesterfield,  Lord,  iii.  206 
Childe,  Mr.,    moves   the    Address 

(1823),  iii.  10 
Chillingham  Castle,  iii.  78 
Chisholme,  iii.  77 
Chiswick  House,  Canning  dies  at, 

iii.  213 
Cholera,  the,  iv.  150,  160,  181,  216 


Churchill,  Lord  J.  (Captain  R.N.), 

iii.  46 
Cimitile,    Prince,    on   Metternich, 

iii.  83,  140,  240 
Civil  List  debate  (1831),  iv.  98 
Clanricarde,  Lady,  iv.  315 
Clarence,     Duke     of,     additional 
pension  for,    iii.   169 ;    attends 
Canning's  funeral,  iii.  218  ;  iv. 
1.     See  also  King  William  IV. 
Cleveland,  Duke  of,  iv.  320 
Clive,  Lord  (afterwards  2nd  Earl 

of  Powis),  iii.  301,  iv.  155 
Cobbett,     at     the     Westminster 
dinner,  iii.  196  ;   his  wife,  197  ; 
his  aversions,  iv.  71 
Cochrane,  Lady,  iii.  17 
Cochrane,  Lord,  iii.  115  ;    and  the 
Stock  Exchange  fraud,  iii.  155  ; 
his  account  of  the  Greek  Navy, 
iii.  243  ;  at  siege  and  battle  of 
Athens,  iii.  244 
Codrington,  Admiral  Sir  Edward, 

iii.  238,  242,  iv.  66 
Coke,T.  (of  Holkham),  iii.  137, 138 
Combination  Bill,  the,  iii.  Ill 
Como,  Lake  of,  iii.  150 
Congreve,  Sir  William,  iii.  161 
Conolly,  Mr.  (M.P.),  iv.  117 
Constance,    Lake    of,    steamboat 

on,  iii.  147 

Constant,  Benjamin,  iii.  9,  iv.  47 
Constantine,  Grand  Duke,  iii.  167 
Conyngham,  Lady,  iii.  13 
Conyngham,  Lord  F.,  iii.  13 
Conyngham,  Marquis  of,  iv.  32 
Cooke,  T.  P.  (the  actor),  iv.  161 
Cooper,  Sir  Astley,  iv.  20 
Copley     (Attorney-General),     iii. 
107,  111;  Master  of  the  Rolls, 
iii.  173  ;    and  the  "  Toby-Phill- 
pott"  speech,  iii.  175;  made  Lord 
Chancellor,   iii.    185,    203;     on 
George  IV.,  iii.  219  ;    and  Lord 
Brougham,     iv.     73 ;      defeats 
Lord  Grey's  Government  on  the 
Reform  Bill  (committal  stage), 
iv.  218  ;   his  unyielding  opposi- 
tion, iv.  230 

Corn    Laws,    iii.    133,    134,    177; 
Duke    of     Wellington    defeats 
Canning's   Bill,    iii.   202 ;    Can- 
ning's resolutions,  iii.  204 
Cornwall,  Mr.  (M.P.),  anecdotes  of 
Wellington,  iii.  266  et  seq.  ;  dis- 
approves of  Wellington's  oppos 
ing  all  Reform,  iv.  58 
Cork,  Lady,  iii.  76,  137,  iv.  38 


INDEX 


371 


Corry,  Lord,  iii.  301 
CottlesHouse,  home  of  the  author's 

father,  iii.  223 
Cotton  Mills  Regulation  Bill,  iii. 

99  ;    amended,  iii.  321,  323 
Courtenay,  Thomas  Peregrine,  iv 

83 
Coutts,  Mrs.,  iii.  137  ;  marries  the 

Duke  of  St.  Albans,  iii.  203  ;  iv. 

22  (note) 

Cowper,  Lord,  iii.  104  etseq.,  182 
Cox,  Rev.  R.,  iii.  279 
Creation  of  Peers.     See  Peers. 
Creevey,  iii.  30  ;  his  character,  iii. 

80,  93,  177 

Crewe,  Lord  (1823),  iii.  22,  77 
Croker,  J.  W.,  iv.  154,  155,  193 
Cromwell,  iii.  118 
Cumberland,    Duke    of,    attends 

Reform  debates  (1831),  iv.    103 
Cunningham,  Allan,  iv.  3 
Currency  debate,  iv.  301 
Cutlar     Fergusson,    Mr.    R.,    iv. 

210,  214 
Czartoryski,  Prince,  iv.  210,  215 

Dacre,  Lady,  iii.  281 
Dacre,  Lord,  iii.  231,  iv.  Ill 
Dallas,  Mr.,  and  Byron's  letters, 

iii.  72 

Darner,  Mrs.,  iii.   15 
Darmstadt,  its  opera  and  Grand 

Duke,  iii.  146 

Davenport,  Mr.  (M.P.),  iii.  22 
David  (the  painter),  tomb  of,  iii.  157 
Davy,  Dr.,  iii.  119,  iv.  Ill 
Davy,  Lady,  iv.  101,  315 
De  Dunstanville,  Lord,  iii.  52 
Delaunay  Memoirs,  iv.  152 
Denman,  Chief  Justice,  iv.  317 
Derby  Day  at  Epsom  (1825),  iii. 

101  ;  dead-heat  (1828),  iii.  269 
De  Roos,  Henry,  iii.  206 
Despatches,  stories  of  unopened, 

iv.  11 

De  Stael,  Madame,  iii.  24 
Destruction     of     Lord     Byron's 

Memoirs,  iii.  329  et  seq. 
DeVear,Mr.,iv.  167,307,311,312 
Devereux,  Mr.,  on  the  Canonical 

Sabbath,  iii.  259 
Devonshire,    Duke    of,    iii.     167  ; 

banquet  given  by,  iii.  207 
D'Israeli  (the  elder),  iii.  92  ;    his 

"  Essay  on  the  Literary  Char- 
acter," iii.  266 
"  Diversions  of  Purley,"  the,  iii. 

131 


Doherty      (Solicitor-General)     on 

O'Connell,  iv.  8 
Dom  Pedro,  of  Portugal,  iv.   118 

(note),  121 

"Don  Juan,"  Cantos X., XL, XII., 

iii.  274  ;  sale  of  copyright,  iv.  9 

Dover,  Lord,  and  the  Horse  Guards 

clock,  iv.  277 
Doyle,  Colonel,  iii.  337 
Drummond,  Mr.  Henry,  iii.  90 
Dudley, Lord, iii.  132, 177;  becomes 
Foreign  Secretary,  iii.  1 9 1 ;  on  the 
Greek  question  (1827),  iii.  220 
Duel     between     Wellington    and 

Winchilsea,  iii.  313 
Duke  of  York's  School,  iv.  244 
Duncan,  Admiral  (Lord  Camper- 
down),  iv.  14 

Duncannon,  Lord,  iii.  203,  260 
Dundas,  his  pension,  iv.  13 
Durham,  Lord,  iv.  59 ;  becomes 
Lord  Privy  Seal,  iv.  71;  offers 
of  office  to  the  author,  iv.  92  ; 
on  the  prospects  of  the  Reform 
Bill  (Feb.  1832),  iv.  170  ;  on  the 
proposal  to  create  Peers,  iv.  176 
et  seq.,  197  ;  and  the  King,  iv. 
199  ;  and  Bishop  Phillpotts,  iv. 
212  ;  his  opinion  of  the  Emperor 
Nicholas,  iv.  255  ;  on  Lord  Grey 
and  his  colleagues,  iv.  256  etseq. ; 
on  Brougham,  ibid.  ;  on  the 
author,  iv.  257  ;  differences  with 
Lord  Grey  about  Stanley,  iv. 
260  et  seq.,  279;  mission  to  Paris, 
iv.  338  ;  quarrel  with  Ellice,  iv. 
349  et  seq. 

East  Retford  disfranchisement, 
iii.  269 

Eaton,  author  visits  Lord  Gros- 
venor  at,  iii.  24 

Ebrington,  Lady,  iii.  133 

Ebrington,  Lord,  iv.  135 ;  his 
address  to  the  Crown,  iv.  222  ; 
attack  on  Wellington,  iv.  225 

Edinburgh,  the  author  declines 
to  stand  for,  iv.  339  et  seq. 

Elcho,  Lady,  iii.   19 

Elcho,  Lord,  iii.  18 

Eldon,  Lord  Chancellor,  on  Uni- 
tarian Marriage  Bill,  iii.  32  ;  on 
the  Bishops  and  the  Catholic 
Association  Bill,  iii.  100  ;  not  in 
the  Wellington  Cabinet,  iii.  239; 
on  the  Test  Acts  repeal,  iii. 
258;  on  Catholic  Relief  Bill, 
iii.  317,  318 


372 


INDEX 


Ellenborough,  Lord,  iii.  189 ; 
history  of  his  promotion  by 
Wellington,  iii.  240 

Ellice,  Mr.,  iii.  74,  94,  119,  120, 
iv.  78,  109,  313;  joins  Lord 
Grey's  Cabinet,  iv.  344 ;  his  pre- 
vious history,  iv.  345  ;  quarrel 
with  Lord  Durham,  iv.  349  et  seq. 

Epsom  races,  iii.  101,  269 

Erskine  (Lord  Chancellor)  and 
George  III.,  iii.  80 

Eugubian  Tables,  the,  iii.  292 

Evans,  Colonel,  opposes  the  author 
at  Westminster  election,  iv. 
260,  310  ;  is  returned,  ibid. 

Ewart,  Mr.,  iv.   193 

Examiner,  the,  iv.  247 

Eynard,  Chevalier,  iii.  199  et  seq. 

Factory  Act  (1825),  iii.  99;  Bill 
to  amend  (1829),  iii.  321,  323; 
(1831),  iv.  104,  122,  134,  135 

Falloden,  iii.  79 

Farnley,  iii.   28 

Fawkes,  Mr.  (of  Farnley),  iii.  28 

Ferguson,  of  Pitfour,  anecdotes 
of,  iii.  224,  319 

Fitzclarence,  Lord  Frederick,  iv. 
250 

Fitzclarence,  sinecure  appoint- 
ments for  the  family  of,  iv.  289 
et  seq. 

FitzGerald,  Maurice,  iv.  104 

Flahaut,  iii.  164 

Fletcher,  Byron's  valet,  iii.  35  et 
seq.,  56etseq.,  65,  iv.  371,  372 

Flogging  in  the  Army,  iii.  128,  177, 
iv.  197,  208,  246  ;  abolished  in 
the  Swedish  Army,  iv.  288 ;  Lord 
Hill's  opposition,  iv.  20-5 

Florence,  iii.  295 

Florida,  the,  brings  Byron's  re- 
mains home,  iii.  58,  64 

Fonblanque,  A.  (editor  of  the 
Examiner),  iv.  247 

Foremark  (Sir  F.Burdett's),iii.217 

Foscolo  on  poetry,  iii.  23 ;  his 
career,  iv.  15 

Fouche's  Memoirs,  iv.   145 

Fox,  Rt.  Hon.  C. ,  iii.  1 1 ;  and  Moore, 
iii.  12;  and  Sir  —  Mildmay, 
iii.  22  ;  and  Hastings,  iii.  48  ; 
and  George  IV.,  iii.  138,  163 ; 
Lord  Holland's  anecdotes  of, 
iii.  247  etseq.,  iv.  332 

France,  declares  war  against 
Spain  (1822),  iii.  10;  state  of 
(in  Jan.  1830),  iv.  5 


Francis,  Philip,  iii.   14 

Frankfort,  defence  of,  iii.  145 

Fremantle,  Jack,  his  account  of 
the  Prussians  at  Waterloo,  iii. 
267 

Fremantle,  Treasurer  of  the  Ex- 
chequer, iii.  218,  iv.  14 

Frere,  Bartholomew,  iv.  19  (note) 

Frere,  Hookham,  iii.  129 

Fuller,  Jack,  anecdote  of  Sheridan, 
iii.  136 

Galiano  (Spanish  Minister),  iii.  178 

Gait's  Life  of  Byron,  iv.  47,  53 

Gamba,  Count  Pietro,  iii.  3,  35, 
227  ;  on  Greece's  debt  to  Byron, 
iii.  43  ;  anecdotes  of  Byron 
in  Greece,  iii.  62  et  seq.  ;  his 
account  of  Byron's  last  illness, 
iii.  365  et  seq. 

Garrick  Club,  iv.  181 

Gascoyne,  General  (M. P.),  iv.  101, 
308 

Gemmi  Pass,  iii.  289 

General  Election  (of  1831),iv.  122; 
(1832),  iv.  264 

Genoa,  iii.  297 

Geographical  Society,  founding  of 
the,  iv.  26,  64 

Gesner's  monument,  iii.  147 

Gibbon,  at  Lausanne,  iii.  29 

Gifford,  Lord,  iii.  220 

Glasgow,  steamboat  service,  iii.  25 

Gleig,  Rev.  G.  R.,  appointed  chap- 
lain to  Chelsea  Hospital  by 
Russell,  iv.  333 

Glenorchy,  Lord,  iii.  26,  132 

Goderich,  Lord,  iii.  215;  resigns, 
iii.  230,  232,  235,  241 ;  at  Literary 
Fund  Dinner,  iii.  263  ;  on  the 
scene  in  the  House  of  Lords 
(1831),  iv.  107;  on  proposed 
reductions  in  Army  Estimates, 
iv.  186;  causes  a  Cabinet  crisis, 
iv.  296,  297,  298 ;  resigns,  iv. 
343 

Gogel,  Mr.  (of  Frankfort),  iii.  145 

Gordon,  Duchess  of,  iii.  224 

Gordon,  Sir  Willoughby,  iv.  245 

Goulburn,  Mr.,  iii.  85 

Graham,  Sir  B.,  iii.  18 

Graham,  Sir  James,  iii.  75,  208, 
283 ;  speech  on  reduction  of 
salaries,  iv.  8,  20  ;  against  Trea- 
surership  of  the  Navy,  iv.  12  ; 
alarmed  by  the  revolution  of 
1830,  iv.  59 ;  First  Lord  of  the 
Admiralty,  iv.  71 ;  on  dissolving 


INDEX 


373 


Parliament  (1 830),  iv.  79;  on  de- 
feat of  Reform  Bill  (1831),  iv. 
103;  on  the  author  joining  the 
Government,  iv.  170;  on  arrears 
of  Government  business,  iv.  253 ; 
Lord  Durham's  estimate  of,  iv. 
257 ;  melancholy,  iv.  278  ;  and 
the  Irish  Church  Revenues  Bill, 
iv.  340;  resigns, iv.  343;  Russell's 
opinion  of,  iv.  361 

Grant,  Charles,  iv.  18 

Grant,  Sir  Alexander  Cray  (M.P.), 
iv.  145 

Grant,  Sir  W.,  iii.  223 

Grantham,  Lady,  iii.  99 

Granville,  Lord,  iii.  99 

Grattan,  Mr.  H.,  iv.  292 

Greece,  iii.  33,  200,  221 

Greek  Committee,  iii.  156 

Greek  deputies,  iii.  73,  115 

Greek  Loan,  iii.  73 

Greenock,  iii.  25 

Grenville,  Lord,  anecdotes  of,  iii. 
52 

Grey,  General  (Henry),  of  Fallo- 
den,  iii.  79 

Grey,  Lord,  on  political  outlook 
(1823),  iii.  21  ;  and  George  III., 
iii.  79  ;  at  home,  iii.  81,  93,  95, 
226;  on  Sheridan,  iii.  128  ;  dis- 
satisfied with  Canning,  iii.  186, 
189 ;  and  Sir  R.  Wilson,  iii.  195 ; 
on  the  House  of  Lords,  iii.  202  ; 
on  Wellington  and  Catholic 
Emancipation,  iii.  305,  318;  on 
the  Galway  Franchise  Bill,  iv. 
31  ;  his  strange  character,  ibid, 
(footnote) ;  forms  a  Government, 
iv.  70  et  seq.  ;  on  the  King's 
support  to  Reform,  iv.  94  ;  on 
Poland,  iv.  99  ;  made  K.G.,  iv. 
113  ;  introduces  Reform  Bill  in 
the  Lords,  iv.  134;  and  Bishop 
Phillpotts,  iv.  139;  his  char- 
acter, iv.  150  ;  on  the  duties  of 
the  Secretary-at-War,  iv.  169; 
the  proposed  Creation  of  Peers, 
iv.  174  et  seq.;  Mansion  House 
dinner  to,  iv.  182  ;  on  second 
reading  of  the  third  Reform  Bill, 
iv.  207  ;  his  influence  with  the 
King,  iv.  208  ;  carries  the  third 
reading  of  the  Bill  in  the  Lords, 
iv.  214  ;  defeated  on  committal, 
iv.  218;  resignation  of,  iv.  219, 
223  et  seq.  ;  resumes  office,  iv. 
233  ;  receives  freedom  of  the 
City,  iv.  247 ;  on  the  personalities 


of  his  Cabinet  colleagues,  iv.  255 ; 
Lord  Durham's  opinion  of,  iv. 
256  ;  and  the  author's,  iv.  263  , 
on  the  King's  sinecure  appoint- 
ments, iv.  290;  tired  of  official 
life,  iv.  296;  attempts  to  dis- 
suade the  author  from  resigning, 
iv.  306 ;  his  seventieth  birthday, 
iv.  332  ;  on  the  Irish  Church 
question,  iv.  348 ;  resigns,  iv. 
353 

Grosvenor,  Lord  (and  Lady),  iii. 
24,  109 

Grosvenor,  R.,  iii.  206,  iv.  108 

Grote,  Mr.  G.,  iv.  342 

Gubbio,  iii.  291 

Guiccioli,  Madame,  iii.  3 

Gurney,  Mr.  Hudson,  iii.  126,  iv. 
19 

Hall,  Capt.  Basil,  iv.  126 
Hallein,  salt  mine  of,  iii.  149 
Hamilton,  Terrick,  iv.  19 
Hanbury  Tracy,  iii.  53 
Hanson    (Byron's    solicitor),    iii. 

46,  49,  64,  286 
Hardinge,  Sir  Henry,  iii.  270  ;   on 

Reform,  iv.  82,  89,  98,  124 ;   on 

the  dissolution,  iv.  106 ;  conveys 

a   challenge   from   Peel  to   the 

author,  iv.  1 10 ;  on  the  action  of 

the  Lords,  iv.  133  ;  on  the  riots, 

iv.  142;  on  flogging  in  the  Army, 

iv.  208 ;  opposes  the  new  Pension 

Warrant,  iv.  288 
Harmer,  Alderman,  iv.  327 
Harrington,  Lord,  iii.  164,  iv.  321 
Harrowby,  Lord,  iii.  230,  iv.  134, 

207 

Hartham  House,  Wilts,  iii.  222 
Hawkins,  Mr.,  maiden  speech  on 

Reform  Bill,  iv.  102 
Hay,   Lady  Julia,  iii.    277,    280; 

engagement  to  the  author,   iii. 

281,    284 ;    marriage,    iii.    285. 

See  also  Lady  Julia  Hobhouse 
Hay,  Lord  and  Lady  James,  iv.  52 
Hay,  Lord  John  (Capt.  R.N.),  iii. 

26,  281 

Hay,  Lord  Thomas,  iv.  311,  326 
Hazlitt,  his  animosity  to  Byron, 

iii.  153 

Heidelberg,  iii.  1 
Herries,  Mr.,  becomes  Chancellor 

of  the  Exchequer,  iii.  219;  241, 

245,  246,  iv.  96 
Hertford,  Marquis  of,  on  Canning's 

South  American  policy,  iii.  53 


374 


INDEX 


Heytesbury,  Lord,  iii.  259 

Hill,  Lord  (Commander-in-Chief), 
iv.  185,  194;  friction  with  the 
author,  iv.  247,  267 ;  assents  to 
author's  new  Pension  Warrant, 
iv.  280 ;  opposes  abolition  of 
flogging,  iv.  295 

Hinde,  H.M.S.,  iii.  46 

"  His  Majesty's  Opposition,"  ori- 
gin of,  iii.  129,  161,  191,  iv. 
21 

Hobhouse,  Sir  Benjamin  (author's 
father),  iv.  114,  122  ;  his  death, 
iv.  129,  140 

Hobhouse,  Edward,  iii.   1 

Hobhouse,  Henry,  in  India,  iii. 
45 ;  Under-Secretary  at  the 
Home  Office,  iii.  185  ;  resigns, 
iii.  210;  at  Send  Grove,  iv.  16  ; 
candidate  for  Bath,  iv.  253 ; 
beaten  at  election,  iv.  264 

Hobhouse,  Lady  Julia,  iii.  286, 
iv.  110;  her  illness,  iv.  114, 
129  ;  at  Hastings,  iv.  157,  170  ; 
gets  better,  iv.  215,265;  at  Send 
Grove,  iv.  312 ;  again  ill,  iv.  317  ; 
health  improves,  iv.  356 

Hobhouse,  T.  B.  (author's  half- 
brother),  iii.  145,  233,  iv.  264 

Hodgson,  Provost  of  Eton,  iii.  70 

Hogg,  the  Ettrick  Shepherd,  iv. 
203 

Holland,  Dr.,  iii.  132 

Holland,  Lady,  iii.  15,  17,  90,  95, 
198,  230,  240,  282,  iv.  72,  204, 
254,  336 

Holland,  Lord,  iii.  15 ;  talks 
Spanish,  iii.  19;  his  story  of 
Pitt's  duel  with  Tierney,  iii.  31 ; 
the  relief  of  the  Catholics,  iii. 
91  ;  his  letters  to  Byron,  iii. 
95;  on  Thurlow,  iii.  112;  his 
character,  iii.  118;  on  France, 
iii.  139  ;  on  Canning's  Govern- 
ment, iii.  198  ;  on  the  need  of 
union  among  the  Whigs,  iii.  234 ; 
his  anecdotes  of  George  III., 
Lord  North,  Pitt,  and  Fox,  iii. 
247  etseq.,  iv.  332;  and  Welling- 
ton, iv.  38 ;  on  Lord  Grey's 
Government,  iv.  72 ;  on  Reform, 
iv.  75 ;  on  the  crisis  (March  1832), 
iv.  204 

Home,  Attorney-General,  iv.  277 

Horner,  Leonard,  iii.  229 

Horse  Guards  clock,  the,  iv.  276 

Hortense  (ex-Queen),  iv.  119 

Hotham,    Admiral    Sir    William, 


iv.    13,   157 ;    anecdotes  of  his 
family,  iv.  159 

Houghton,  visit  to,  iij.  120 

House  and  Window  Tax,  iv.  268, 
271,  294,  305,  324 

House  of  Lords  and  Catholic 
Emancipation,  iii.  100 

Howick,  Lord,  iii.  77,  iv.  162 

Hucknall  (Church),  Byron's 
funeral  at,  iii.  70 

Hume,  Mr.  Joseph,  iii.  11  ;  on 
M.  A.  Carlyle's  case,  iii.  17  ;  and 
Greek  Loan,  iii.  74 ;  on  Portu- 
guese affairs,  iii.  159,  201  ;  his 
use  of  the  word  "liable,"  iii.  204, 
iv.  59 ;  candidate  for  West- 
minster, iv.  28etseg.,  46;  and 
the  Civil  List  (1831),  iv.  98 ;  Lord 
Rector  of  Glasgow  University, 
iv.  150;  on  the  Army  Estimates, 
iv.  182  ;  his  letters  opened  at 
Foreign  Courts,  iv.  201  ;  and 
Brazilian  aggressions,  iv.  215;  on 
flogging  in  the  Army,  iv.  246 ; 
proposes  Littleton  for  Speaker, 
iv.  279;  on  naval  and  military 
sinecures,  iv.  285  ;  opposes  Irish 
Coercion  Bill,  iv.  293 ;  economi- 
cal advice  to  the  Duke  of  Kent, 
iv.  314 

Hunt,  Mr.,  iv.  83  ;  on  Reform 
Bill,  iv.  89  ;  on  flogging  in  the 
Army,  iv.  208 

Huskisson,Rt.Hon.W.,iii.  95, 127, 
168,  177,  265;  on  Peel,  iii.  193; 
anecdotes  of  Mr.  Pitt,  iii.  203;  his 
health,  iii.  216;  and  Lord  Lans- 
downe,  iii.  233 ;  in  Wellington's 
Administration,  iii.  237,241, 254; 
his  change  of  opinion  on  the  Corn 
Question,  iii.  257 ;  his  vote  on 
the  East  Retf  ord  Bill,  iii.  27 1 ;  his 
resignation,  iii.  271,  275,  276; 
votes  for  Lord  J.  Russell's  Re- 
form proposal  (1830),  iv.  10;  ac- 
cident to  and  death  of,  iv.  49  ; 
author's  opinion  of,  iv.  50 

Hutchinson's  Memoirs,  iii.  118 

Inglis,  Sir  Robert,  iii.  75,  212  ;  on 
Catholic  Emancipation,  iii.  302, 
309  ;  on  Reform,  iv.  80,  88 

Irish  Church  Reform,  iv.  283,  292, 
324 

Irish  Coercion  Bill  (1833),  iv.  292, 
352  et  seq. 

Irish  Secretaryship,  accepted  by 
the  author,  iv.  297  :  author's 


INDEX 


375 


interview  with  the  King  about, 
iv.  299  ;  author  enters  on  the, 
ibid.  ;  the  small  establishment 
in  Queen  Street,  iv.  300  ;  author 
resigns,  iv.  305 ;  Mr.  E.  J. 
Littleton  succeeds  to  the,  iv.  331 
Irish  Tithe  Bill,  iv.  359,  361  ;  in 
the  Lords,  iv.  362 

Jeffrey,  Mr.  (afterwards  Lord),  iv. 

90  (note),  338,  341 
Jekyll,  iii.  182 
Jersey,  Lady,  iii.  101,  iv.  76;  and 

the  Reform  riots,  iv.  143  (note) 
Jersey,  Lord,  made  Lord  Cham- 
berlain, iv.  39 
Jewish  Disabilities  Bill  (1830),  iv. 

16,  22 
John    Bull    newspaper,     on     the 

author's  resignation  of  his  office 

and  seat,  iv.  312 
Jones,  Sir  William,  iii.   120  ;    his 

death-bed,  iii.  122 
Junius,  authorship  of,  Letters  of, 

iii.  116 

Kemble,  Miss  Fanny,  iv.  14;  as 
Juliet,  iv.  23 

Kenmare,  Lady,  iv.  197 

Kennedy,  Mrs.,  iv.  80 

Kent,  Duchess  of,  iv.  205,  314,  337 

Kerrison,  General,  iii.  270 

King  George  III.  and  Lord  Grey, 
iii.  80 ;  his  reputed  speech 
about  Catholic  Emancipation 
not  a  fact,  iii.  205  ;  Lord  North's 
recollections  of,  iii.  250  ;  Sir  W. 
Hotham's  anecdote  of,  iv.  160 

King  George  IV.  at  Brighton, 
iii.  13  ;  quick  at  quoting  Latin, 
iii.  52  ;  and  Fox,  iii.  138,  163  ; 
and  Sheridan,  iii.  165 ;  opens 
Parliament  (1826),  iii.  158; 
letter  to  the  Duke  of  Welling- 
ton, iii.  199 ;  and  his  Tory 
Ministers,  iii.  203  ;  on  Cabinet 
changes  (1827),  iii.  218;  offers 
the  Duke  of  Wellington  the  com- 
mand-in-chief,  iii.  222 ;  sends 
for  him  to  form  a  Government, 
iii.  235,  240  ;  at  the  Drawing- 
room,  iii.  258 ;  and  the  Catholic 
Question,  iii.  270,  317,  320  ;  and 
the  Duke  of  Wellington,  iii.  321, 
323  ;  and  the  Duke  of  York's 
debts,  iv.  7  ;  his  illness,  iv.  18, 
20;  his  death,  iv.  31  ;  funeral, 
iv.  39 


King,  Lord,  iii.  136 
King,  Mr.  (and  Mrs.),  iii.  31 
King  William  IV.,  accession  of,  iv. 
32  et  seq.  ;  holds  a  Levee,  iv. 
40  ;  reviews  the  Guards,  ibid.  ; 
reviews  troops  in  Hyde  Park, 
iv.  42  ;  at  Brighton,  iv.  49  ;  his 
visit  to  the  City  postponed,  iv. 
62 ;  alarm  in  the  City,  ibid. ;  dis- 
solves Parliament  (April  1831), 
iv.  105  et  seq. ;  the  author's  high 
opinion  of,  iv.  116;  opens  new 
London  "Bridge,  iv.  125  et  seq.  ; 
and  the  author's  father,  iv.  140, 
171;  wishes  the  author  appointed 
Secretary-at-War,  iv.  169;  holds 
a  Council,  iv.  172  ;  the  creation 
of  Peers,  iv.  181,  209  ;  and  Lord 
Durham,  iv.  199;  refuses  to  make 
Peers,  iv.  219;  accepts  Lord 
Grey'sresignation,iv.  220;  sends 
for  Wellington,  iv.  223 ;  the 
author  has  an  audience  of  re- 
signation with,  iv.  224  ;  Baring 
on  the  King's  action,  iv.  228, 
229  ;  struck  by  a  stone  at  Ascot, 
iv.  243  ;  waning  popularity,  iv. 
251  ;  assents  to  new  Pension 
Warrant,  iv.  281  ;  his  prescrip- 
tion for  the  gout,  iv.  282  ;  on 
sinecure  appointments,  iv.  289  ; 
on  the  author's  resigning  the 
Irish  Secretaryship,  iv.  308 ; 
holds  a  Council  at  St.  James's, 
iv.  363 

Kinnaird,  Lord,  iii.  109,  206 
Kinnaird,  Mr.  D.,  iii.  37  et  seq.  ; 
and  Byron's  will,  iii.  47  et  seq.  ; 
at  Boyle  Farm  fete,  iii.  206  ; 
at  Sou  thill,  iii.  231  ;  and  the 
destruction  of  Lord  Byron's 
Memoirs,  iii.  329  et  seq.  ;  his 
death,  iv.  12 

Kinsale,  governorship  of,  iv.  290 
Kleinthal,      the,     and      Gesner's 

monument,  iii.   147 
Knight,  Mr.,  bookseller,  iii.  72 
Knighton,  Sir  William,  iii.  213 

Lafayette,  iii.  9,  299,  iv.  47,  78 

La  Harpe,  iii.  278 

Lallemand,  General,  iii.  16 

Lamb,  George,  iv.  328 

Lamb,  Lady  Caroline,  iii.  43,  82 

Lamb,  William,  iii.  280 

Lambton,  iii.  44,  45,  208  ;  created 

Lord  Durham,  iii.  236,  245.    See 

also  Durham,  Lord 


376 


INDEX 


Lambton  Castle,  iii.  28  ;  racing 
party  at,  iii.  81 

Lansdowne,  1st  Lord,  iii.  168, 
185 ;  joins  Canning's  Cabinet,  iii. 
194,  210 ;  on  the  Bishops'  action 
in  the  House  of  Lords,  iii.  200, 
258;  his  capabilities,  iii.  207, 
229,  232  ;  out  of  office,  iii.  247  ; 
the  Byron  Memoirs,  iii.  362 ;  on 
the  scene  in  the  House  of  Lords 
(April  1831),  iv.  108;  tries  to 
dissuade  the  author  from  re- 
signing, iv.  307  ;  on  Lord  Mel- 
bourne's Cabinet,  iv.  356 ;  and 
the  Irish  Tithes  Bill  division, 
iv.  360 

Lascelles,  Lord,  iii.  29 

Lauderdale,  Lord,  iii.  32,  281,  323, 
iv.  21, 39  ;  supports  Wellington, 
iii.  322 ;  duel  with  General 
Arnold,  iv.  95 

Lavalette,  Count,  iii.  140 ;  on 
Napoleon  and  Talleyrand,  iii. 
141  et  seq. 

Lawrence,  Thos.  (artist),  iv.  23 

Leeds,  Duke  of,  iii.  207 

Leigh,  Hon.  Mrs.  (Byron's  sister), 
iii.  35  et  seq.,  44,  53,  66;  and 
the  Byron  Memoirs,  iii.  333  et 
seq. ;  Count  Gamba's  letter  to, 
iii.  365  et  seq. 

Leigh  Hunt,  iii.  2  ;  and  Byron, 
iii.  153,  239 

Leinster,  Duchess  of,  iii.  168 

Leopold,  Prince  of  Orange,  iv.  25, 
79 ;  becomes  King  of  the 
Belgians,  iv.  118 

Lethbridge,  Sir  Thomas,  iii.  180, 
181 

Levee,  the  King's,  author  attends 
as  a  Minister,  iv.  184,  185 

Leveson-Gower,  Lord,  iii.  319 

Lieven,  Princess,  iii.  264 

Lindsay,  Lady  Charlotte,  iii.  31, 
iv.  333  (note) 

Listen  in  Paul  Pry,  iii.  121 

Literary  Fund,  iii.  241  ;  Dinners 
(1828),  263;  (1832),  iv.  216, 
285 

Littleton,  E.  J.  (Lord  Hatherton), 
iv.  323  ;  on  the  Irish,  iv.  331 ;  on 
Lords  Anglesey  and  Wellesley, 
ibid. ;  his  scene  with  O'Connell, 
iv.  352  ;  he  resigns,  iv.  353 

Liverpool,  Lord,  iii.  10,  102  ;  on 
Corn  Question,  iii.  133  ;  illness 
of,  iii.  169,  177,  179,  233  ;  his 
indolence,  iii.  182,  204 


London,  Bishop  of,  iv.  348 
London  Bridge,  iii.  109  ;    opening 

of,  iii.  125 

Londonderry,   Charles    3rd    Mar- 
quis of,  his  duel  with  Battier, 
iii.  31,  82 
Londonderry,  Marchioness  of,  iii. 

82 

Londonderry,  Marquis  of,  his  sui- 
cide, iii.  1 
Louis  Philippe  becomes  King  of 

the  French,  iv.  45,  47,  53 
Lulworth,  Charles  X.  at,  iv.  51 
Luttrell,  Mr.,  and  Lord  Byron's 
Memoirs,  iii.  328  et  seq.,  iv.  321 
Lyndhurst,  Lady,  iii.  252,  253 
Lyndhurst,  Lord.     See  Copley 
Lytton  Bulwer  (M.P.),  iv.  285 

Macaulay,  on  Reform  Bill  (1831), 
iv.  89,  119,  125,  138;  attacks 
Peel,  iv.  155  ;  difficulty  of  his 
position,  iv.  276 ;  going  to  India, 
iv.  326  ;  on  Brougham  and 
Stanley,  iv.  327 

Macdonald,  Sir  James,  iv.  165 

Mackintosh,  his  "vindicise  gallicse," 
iii.  14 ;  Creevey's  opinion  of, 
iii.  30 ;  at  the  Board  of 
Control,  iii.  194;  in  Catholic 
Relief  debate,  iii.  311  ;  on  the 
abolition  of  capital  punishment, 
iv.  27;  on  Reform  Bill,  iv.  119; 
his  death,  iv.  237 

Mahon,  Lord,  iv.  124 

Maitland,  Lord,  iv.  168 

Malcolm,  Sir  John,  iv.  275 

Malt  Tax,  defeat  of  Lord  Grey's 
Government  on,  iv.  301 

Manchester,  Duke  of,  iii.  127 

Manners  Sutton,  again  chosen 
Speaker  (1826),  iii.  158,  204; 
Reform  row  in  the  House,  iv. 
104,  105  et  seq.  ;  his  farewell, 
iv.  249  ;  re-elected  in  reformed 
Parliament,  iv.  279 

Mansfield,  Lord,  attacks  Canning, 
iii.  189 

Marriage  of  the  author,  iii.  284, 
286 

Mars,  Mile.,  iii.  281 

Marsden,  William  (Oriental 
traveller),  iii.  307 

Matthews,  C.  S.,  iii.  29,  35,  69 

Mavrocordato,  Prince,  and  Byron, 
iii.  62,  371,  373 

Maximilian  Joseph  (King  of 
Bavaria),  iii.  148 


INDEX 


377 


Med win's  "  Conversations  "  (with 
Byron),  iii.  83,  359  ;  his  char- 
acter, iii.  166 

Mehemet  Ali,  iv.  275 

Melbourne,  Lord,  iv.  147,  245,  277, 
334  ;  becomes  Premier,  iv.  355; 
offers  the  author  a  seat  in  the 
Cabinet,  iv.  356 ;  his  draft  of 
King's  Speech,  iv.  362,  363 

Melton,  Club  Dinner,  iii.  18 

Mendel,  Rabbi,  tries  to  re-convert 
Wolff,  iii.  172 

Methuen,  Paul,  iv.  317,  319,  345 

Meyrick,  Dr.,  iii.  117 

Miguel,  Dom,  iii.  240 

Milan,  iii.  1,  290 

Miles,  Mr.  John  (late  Coldstream 
Guards),  iii.  82 

Millingen  (Byron's  doctor),  iii. 
58,  64,  371,  372 

Milton,  Lord,  iii.  246 

Ministerial  Fish-dinner,  iv.  361 

Mirabeau,  iv.  216 ;  Dumont's 
"  Souvenirs,"  iv.  336 

Missolonghi,  fall  of,  iii.  128  ;  posi- 
tion of,  iii.  368 

Mitford's  "  Alexander  the  Great," 
iii.  237 

Molyneux,  Lord,  iii.  18 

Monckton,  Mr.,  iv.  38 

Mont  Cenis,  passage  of  the,  iii. 
298 

Montholon,  and  Napoleon's  will, 
iii.  85 

Moore,  T.,  his  opinion  of  Hob- 
house,  iii.  8  ;  at  Melton,  iii.  18  ; 
at  Mr.  Ord's,  iii.  32  ;  on  Byron's 
death,  iii.  40  ;  on  publishing  his 
Memoirs  of  Byron,  iii.  84,  134, 
227 ;  his  letters  to  Byron  in 
1822,  iii.  152  ;  all  are  returned 
to  him  by  the  author,  iii.  206, 
227 ;  differences  with  the  author, 
iii.  247,  323 ;  and  the  destruction 
of  Lord  Byron's  Memoirs,  iii. 
329  et  seq.;  his  Life  of  Byron 
published,  iv.  5,  81 

Morning  Chronicle,  the,  iii.   242, 

iv.  137 
Morning  Journal,  prosecution  of 

the  editor,  iv.  4 
Morpeth,  Lord,  iii.  68 ;  on  Catholic 

Emancipation,  iii.  173 
Mulgrave,  Lord,  iv.  11,  280 
Munich,  iii.  148 

Munster,  Lord,  on  opinion  at  the 
Court  about  Reform,  iv.  183 ;  his 
indiscreet  interference,  iv.  236 

VOL.    IV 


Murat,  Achille,  iv.  118 

Murray,  Mr.,  on  Byron's  death, 
iii.  39  ;  on  publishing  a  volume 
of  Byron  letters,  iii.  51 ;  pre- 
vents an  attack  on  Byron 
by  Southey  in  the  Quarterly, 
iii.  84 ;  his  house  party  in 
Whitehall  Place,  iii.  92 ;  asks 
author  to  write  a  Life  of  Byron, 
iii.  116;  offers  Moore  4,000 
guineas  for  a  Life  of  Byron,  iii. 
239  ;  introduces  author  to  Sir 
Walter  Scott,  iii.  256;  author 
lends  him  Saunders's  portrait 
of  Byron,  iii.  323 ;  and  the 
destruction  of  Lord  Byron's 
Memoirs,  iv.  329  et  seq.  ;  sends 
the  author  Moore's  Life  of 
Byron,  iv.  4 ;  pays  Moore  £6,000, 
iv.  81 

Murray,  General  Sir  George  (M.P.), 
iii.  272,  309,  iv.  11,  57,  120 

Musgrave,  Sir  James,  iii.  18 

Mutiny  Bill,  the,  iv.  208,  295 

Nahmek  Pasha,  iv.  271  ;  his 
account  of  Turkey,  iv.  273,  274 

Napier,  Sir  Charles,  iii.  225 

Napier,  Sir  George,  iii.  224 

Napier,  Sir  William,  iii.  224  ; 
Wellington  and  Soult  assist 
him  in  his  "  History,"  iii.  225 

Naples,  iii.  294 

Napoleon.     See  Buonaparte 

Navarino,  "an  untoward  event," 
iii.  221  ;  it  saved  Greece,  iii. 
226 ;  "  an  unexpected  collision," 
iii.  238  ;  author's  speech  in  de- 
bate on,  iii.  242  et  seq. 

Necker,  during  the  attack  on 
Versailles,  iii.  24 

Nelson,  Lord,  Sir  William  Hoth- 
am's  anecdotes  of,  iv.  157,  252 

Neston  Park,  iii.  223 

Newcastle,  Duke  of  (1779),  iv.  11 

Newstead  Abbey,  iii.  29 

Ney,  tomb  of,  iii.  156 

Nicholas,  Emperor,  iii.  167  ;  on 
the  Revolution  of  July,  iv.  66 ; 
on  criticism  of  him  by  Parlia- 
ment, iv.  252 

Norfolk,  Duke  of,  iv.  41 

Normanby,  Lord,  iii.  245,  280 

North,  Lord,  Lord  Holland's  re- 
collections of,  iii.  249 

Norton,  Hon.  Mrs.,  iv.  27 

Nottingham  Castle,  burning  of 
(1831),  iv.  139 

48 


378 


INDEX 


Nottingham,   the   author   elected 

for  (1834),  iv.  358 
Nugent,  Lord,   on   George    III.'s 

reputed     speech     on     Catholic 

Emancipation,  iii.  205 

O'Connell,  Daniel,  iii.  94,  170 ; 
Clare  election,  iii.  283 ;  attempts 
to  take  his  seat,  iii.  320  ;  his 
maiden  speech,  iv.  8  ;  dines 
with  the  Speaker,  iv.  9 ;  his 
extreme  views,  iv.  23  ;  on  Wel- 
lington, iv.  25 ;  at  the  West- 
minster dinner,  iv.  244 ;  as 
agitator,  iv.  281  ;  supports  Irish 
Church  Reform  scheme,  iv.  284 ; 
opposes  Irish  Coercion  Bill,  iv. 
292 ;  friendship  with  Lord 
Duncannon,  iv.  303  ;  his  Repeal 
motion  (1834),  iv.  336;  would 
like  to  join  Lord  Grey's  Govern- 
ment, iv.  339  ;  his  quarrel  with 
Littleton,  iv.  352 

O'Gorman  Mahon,  iv.  83 

Opposition,  His  Majesty's,  iii.  130 

Orange,  Prince  of.     See  Leopold 

Ord,  Mr.,  iii.  31,  iv.  334 

Orleans,  Duke  of.  See  Louis 
Philippe 

Orleans  House,  Twickenham,  iv. 
323 

Ouvrard,  Napoleon's  contractor, 
iii.  31 

Oxford,  Bishop  of  (1829),  speaks 
in  favour  of  the  Catholic  Relief 
Bill,  iii.  317 ;  the  King  cuts 
him,  iii.  322 

Paganini,  iv.  121 

Palmer,  Mr.  Arthur,  iv.  329 

Palmerston,  Lord,  on  Navarino, 
iii.  238  ;  leaves  the  Wellington 
Government,  iii.  271  ;  on  the 
political  outlook  (Feb.  1829),  iii. 
300  ;  speech  on  Catholic  Relief 
Bill,  iii.  311  ;  and  Brougham's 
Reform  motion,  iv.  60  ;  on  Lord 
J.  Russell's  Bill,  iv.  90;  apa- 
thetic, iv.  96  ;  on  the  Belgian 
question,  iv.  164  ;  on  the  crisis, 
iv.  198  ;  invested  with  the  Order 
of  the  Bath,  iv.  241 

Papplewick,  iii.  69 

Parliament,  meeting  of  (1823),  iii. 
10 ;  reform  of,  see  "  Re- 
form "  ;  difficulty  of  speaking 
the  truth  in,  iii.  262  ;  dissolution 
of  (1830),  iV.  42;  (1831),iv.  103, 


104  et  seq.  ;    scene  in  the  House 
of  Lords,  iv.   107  ;    opening  of 
(June  1831),  iv.  115;  King  pro- 
rogues (1832),  iv.  250  ;  meeting 
of  the  new  reformed,  iv.  278 
Parnell,  Sir  Henry,  iv.  66  ;  Secre- 
tary-at-War,  iv.  98  ;  dismissed, 
iv.  165  ;  desires  Chancellorship 
of    the    Exchequer,     iv.     196 ; 
Durham's  estimate  of,  iv.  257 
Parr,  Dr.,  iii.  84 
Parry,  Dr.  Charles,  iii.  223 
Passport,  author  applies  for  a,  iii. 

286 
Paternoster,      Mr.,      author      of 

"  Byronicus,"  iii.  282 
Paul  Pry,  origin  of,  iii.  241 
Paulet,  Lord  William,  iii.  280 
Peel,  Mr.  Jonathan,  iii.  303 
Peel,  Mr.  (afterwards  Sir)  Robert, 
speech  in  honour  of  James 
Watt,  iii.  52;  iii.  90;  and 
cotton-factory  children,  iii. 
95  ;  and  the  Larceny  Bill,  Iii. 
170 ;  on  Catholic  Emancipa- 
tion, iii.  174,  260;  with  the 
King,  iii.  177  ;  resigns  on  Can- 
ning's promotion  (1827),  iii.  183; 
his  reasons,  iii.  188 ;  supports 
Canning's  Corn  Bill,  iii.  204 ; 
difference  with  Lord  Milton, 
iii.  246  ;  on  Huskisson's  resigna- 
tion, iii.  276  ;  adopts  Catholic 
Emancipation,  iii.  302  ;  his 
contest  at  Oxford,  iii.  305  ;  his 
speech  on  Catholic  Relief  Bill, 
iii.  308  ;  his  cold  manner,  iv. 
25  ;  succeeds  to  the  baronetcy, 
iv.  22 ;  scene  with  Brougham,  iv. 
35 ;  announces  resignation  of 
Wellington  Ministry,  iv.  68  ;  on 
the  alarming  state  of  the  country, 
iv.  73 ;  and  of  France,  iv.  78 ;  on 
Lord  J.  Russell's  Reform  mo- 
tion, iv.  88,  90 ;  speech  on  third 
reading,  iv.  102  ;  on  the  dissolu- 
tion of  Parliament,  iv.  106 ;  sends 
challenge  to  the  author,  iv.  1 1 1  ; 
on  the  new  Parliament,  iv.  115  ; 
on  second  Reform  Bill,  iv.  117  ; 
on  the  third  Bill,  iv.  155  ;  reply 
to  Macaulay's  attack,  iv.  156 ; 
the  Ettrick  Shepherd  and,  iv. 
204;  on  Lord  Ebrington's  mo- 
tion, iv.  222;  refuses  to  join 
Wellington,  iv.  228 
Peers,  proposed  creation  of,  iv. 
144, 173,  llAetseq.,  181,  209,  219 


INDEX 


379 


Peninsular  War,  Napier's  History 

r|of,  iii.  225 

Penn,  W.,  iv.  1 

Perceval,  Spencer,  iv.  79,  83 

Pere  la  Chaise,  Cemetery,  iii. 
156 

Phillpotts,  Bishop  (of  Exeter),  iv. 
139,  212 

Pisa,  iii.  2,296 

Pitt,  Right  Hon.  Wm.,  iii.  11  ; 
his  last  words,  iii.  21  ;  duel 
with  Tierney,  iii.  31  ;  thanks 
Brougham  for  his  "Colonial 
Policy,"  iii.  223 ;  Lord  Hol- 
land's anecdotes  of,  iii.  248  ; 
Sir  William  Hotham's anecdotes, 
iv.  158 

Place,  Francis,  iii.  229,  iv.  164, 
227 

Planta,  Mr.,  iii.  203,  265,  iv.  103 

Plunkett,  Lord,  iii.  194 

Poland,  Lord  Grey  on,  iv.  99 ; 
Prince  Czartoryski  on,  iv.  210 

Polidori,  iii.  69 

Polignac,  iv.  47,  78 

Poole,  author  of  Paul  Pry,  iii. 
241 

Poor  Law  Bill  (1834),  iv.  338 

Pope's  Correspondence,  iii.  221 

Porchester,  Lord,  iii.  105 ;  his 
maiden  speech,  iv.  119;  op- 
poses third  Reform  Bill,  iv.  155 

Portugal,  King  John  of,  iii.  52 

Poulett  Thomson  (afterwards 
Lord  Sydenham),  iii.  193,  iv. 
330  (note) ;  on  Lord  Grey's  col- 
leagues, iv.  331  ;  President  of 
the  Board  of  Trade,  iv.  348 

Pozzo  di  Borgo,  iv.  2,  275; 
anecdotes  of  Napoleon,  iv.  278 

Privy  Council,  meeting  of  the, 
iv.  171 

Prussia,  King  of,  at  Portsmouth, 
iii.  27 

Queen  Adelaide,  iv.  125  et  seq., 
243  ;  unpopular,  ibid.,  250,  315 

Queen  Caroline,  her  death-bed, 
iii.  45 

Queen  of  France  (Marie  Antoin- 
ette), saves  Asgill's  life,  iii.  23  ; 
during  the  attack  on  Versailles, 
iii.  24 

Quorn,  a  run  with  the,  iii.  18, 
30 

Railway,  Liverpool  and  Man- 
chester, opened,  iv.  49 


Rancliffe,  Lord,  iii.  69,  359,  iv.  358 
Reform,  Parliamentary,  Fox's 
speech,  iii.  129 ;  author's 
speech  on  (1826),  iii.  132,  322; 
Lord  Blandford's  Bill  (1830), 
iv.  9 ;  Lord  J.  Russell's  pro- 
posal (1830),  iv.  10;  the 
author's  advanced  views,  iv.  24  ; 
Wellington  declares  against,  iv. 
56,  58;  Lords  Stafford  and 
Talbot  declare  for,  iv.  59  ;  Lord 
Tavistock's  and  Lord  Holland's 
views,  iv.  75;  Lord  John  Russell 
introduces  the  Bill  (1 83  l),iv.  87; 
debate  on,  iv.  88  etseq. ;  the  King 
in  favour  of,  iv.  94 ;  debate  on 
second  reading  of  Bill,  iv.  96, 97 ; 
views  of  tradesmen  on,  iv.  100; 
Bill  defeated  on  third  reading, 
iv.  103  ;  Fund  established  to  as- 
sist, iv.  109  ;  Reform  Dinner  in 
the  City,  iv.  112;  second  Reform 
Bill  introduced,  iv.  117;  author's 
speech  on  Metropolitan  repre- 
sentation, iv.  127;  new  Bill  re  ad 
a  third  time,  iv.  131  ;  debate  in 
the  Lords,  iv.  1 34 ;  thrown  outby 
the  Lords,  iv.  136  ;  action  of  the 
populace,  iv.  139,  140  ;  proposed 
creation  of  Peers,  iv.  144,  209  ; 
third  bill  introduced  (Dec.  1831), 
iv.  154  ;  additional  Members  for 
London,  iv.  187  ;  the  Bill  carried 
in  the  Lords,  iv.  213 ;  defeated  on 
committal,  iv.  218  ;  Lord  Grey's 
Government  resigns,  iv.  219; 
Wellington's  proposal  to  carry 
Reform,  iv.  224  et  seq. ;  he  gives 
it  up,  iv.  226 ;  Lord  Grey 
returns  to  office  after  receiving 
guarantees,  iv.  233;  the  Bill 
going  through  Committee,  iv. 
235 ;  the  Bill  passed,  iv.  240  ; 
receives  the  Royal  Assent,  iv. 
242 

Regency  question  (1830),  iv.  37 
Repeal  of  the  Union,  iv.  336 
Revolution    of    July     (1830)    in 

Paris,  iv.  43  et  seq.,  52,  54 
Ricardo,   Mr.,   iii.    1  ;    his  death, 

iii.  26 

Richmond,  Duke  of,  iv.  343,  345 
Riding      Establishment     at      St. 
John's  Wood,  iv.    184;    to  be 
moved  to  Maidstone,  iv.  202 
Riots  in  the  country,  iv.  139 
Rogers,  Sam,  iii.  15,  182  ;    letter 
to  Byron  in  1818,  iii.  152 


S80 


INDEX 


Rome,  the  author  in,  iii.  8,  292  ; 
Canova's  studio  in,  ibid. 

Ross,  Charles,  ex-Lord  of  the 
Admiralty,  iv.  363 

Rosslyn,  Lord,  made  Privy  Seal, 
iii.  322,  324 

Royal  Society,  the,  iv.  74 

Russell,  Lord,  iii.  162,  163,  207 

Russell,  Lord  John,  iii.  17,  122, 
123,  128  ;  his  Reform  motion 
(1826),  iii.  132;  fracas  with 
Lady  Holland,  iii.  230;  his 
Reform  proposals  of  1830,  iv. 
10,  24  ;  to  bring  forward  the 
Reform  Bill  (1831),  iv.  82  ;  his 
speech,  iv.  87;  presented  with  the 
freedom  of  the  City,  iv.  121  ; 
brings  forward  third  Reform 
Bill  (Dec.  1831),  iv.  154;  pros- 
pects of  carrying  it  in  the  Lords, 
iv.  210 ;  a  Commissioner  of  Chel- 
sea Hospital,  iv.  245  ;  appoints 
Gleig  to  the  chaplaincy  there, 
iv.  333  ;  and  the  Irish  Church 
Bill,  iv.  340  ;  on  Stanley  and 
Graham,  iv.  361 

Russo-Belgian  Loan,  iv.  248 

Sackville,  Lord  George,  iii.  116 

Sainsbury,  Dr.,  iii.  116 

St.  Albans,  Duke  of,  marries  Mrs. 
Coutts,  iii.  203,  iv.  22 

St.  Antonio,  Countess,  iii.  255 

St.  Aulaire's  History  of  the 
Fronde,  iii.  226 

St.  James's  Palace,  Children's 
Ball  at,  iv.  315 

St.  Lorenzo,  Duke  (and  Duchess) 
of,  iii.  19  ;  on  Spain  and  France, 
iii.  20 

Salaries,  official,  reduction  of,  iv. 
8,  20,  84 

Saldanha,  Count,  and  the  Terceira 
case,  iv.  18  (note) 

Salzburg,  iii.    149 

San  Marino,  Republic  of,  iii.  291 

San  Marsan,  Marquis,  iii.  28 

Scarlett,  Sir  J.,  iii.  86 

Schlegel,  iii.  145 

Scotland,  steamboats  on  West 
Coast  of,  iii.  25 

Scott,  Sir  Walter,  letter  to  Byron 
announcing  death  of  the  two 
Boswells,  iii.  152 ;  on  the  Duke  of 
York,  iii.  161 ;  Flahaut's  opinion 
of,  iii.  165 ;  author's  meeting 
with,  iii.  157  ;  Murray  intro- 
duces author  to  him,  iii.  256 ;  his 


conversation  with  Byron  about 
his  religion,  ibid. ;  his  last  ro- 
mances, iv.  160 

Scrope  Davies,  iii.  69 

Sebright,  Sir  J.,  iv.  20 ;  seconds 
Reform  motion,  iv.  88 

Secretaryship  at  War,  offered  to 
author,  iv.  lQ5etseq. ;  Lord  Grey 
on  duties  of  the  office,  iv.  169; 
author's  proposed  changes,  iv. 
270,  276  ;  at  variance  with  the 
Commander -in-Chief,  iv.  247, 
267,  287,  295 ;  the  author  leaves 
the  War  Office,  iv.  297 

Send  Grove,  iv.  16,  113 

Seymour,  Lord,  iii.  260  ;  marriage 
to  Miss  Sheridan,  iv.  27 

Shee,  Sir  G.,  iv.  312 

Shelley,  iii.  2,  69 

Shelley,  Sir  John,  iii.  203 

Sheridan,  iii.  23  ;  and  Byron,  iii. 
48  ;  and  the  Duchess  of  Devon- 
shire, iii.  76  ;  his  failings,  iii. 
107,  123 ;  Moore's  Life  of,  iii. 
121,  123  ;  his  conduct  to  the 
Whigs,  iii.  128 ;  and  to  the 
Duke  of  York,  iii.  136 ;  Mrs.  Fitz- 
herbert's  opinion  of,  iii.  165  ; 
and  Lady  Holland,  iv.  159 

Sibthorp,  Colonel  (M.P.),  iv.   117 

Sidmouth,  Lord,  iv.  264 

Simond,  Louis,  iii.  288 

Sinecures,  abolition  of,  iv.  285, 
289 

Slavery  Question,  iii.  135,  iv. 
269 

Smith,  Rev.  Sydney,  iii.  102,  263  ; 
on  the  belief  in  a  second  life,  iv. 
26,  100 

Smith,  Sir  Sidney,  iv.  42 

Smuggling  by  King's  messengers, 
iii.  30 

Somerset,  Duke  of,  iii.  211,  229 

Somerset,  Lord  Fitzroy,  iv.  185 

Somerville  case,  the,  iv.  246,  250 

Soult,  Marshal,  assists  Napier  in 
his  "  History,"  iii.  225 

Southey,  his  attack  on  Byron,  iii. 
84 

Southill,  iii.  230 

Spain,  France  declares  war  against 
(1822),  iii.  10;  Duke  of  St. 
Lorenzo's  opinion,  iii.  20 

Speaker,  the  (Manners  Sutton), 
iii.  158,  204,  iv.  104,  105  et  seq., 
174 

Spencer,  Lord  Robert,  iii.  108, 
iv.  39 


INDEX 


381 


Spencer,  William,  his  stories  of 
Pitt  and  Fox,  iii.  11,  12;  of 
Burke  and  Sheridan,  iii.  14 

Stuttgart,  iii.  1 

Spring  Rice,  iii.  189,  iv.  336,  344 
"  S.S.B.S."     See  Beefsteak  Club 

Stanhope,  Fitzroy,  anecdotes  of 
the  Duke  of  Wellington,  iii.  162 

Stanhope,  Lady  Hester,  iii.   172 

Stanhope,  Col.  Leicester  (friend 
of  Byron),  iii.  33,  42,  46,  56  ; 
his  account  of  Byron's  career 
in  Greece,  iii.  60  et  seq.  ;  and 
Greek  Committee,  iii.  156 

Stanley,  Mr.  (afterwards  Lord), 
iv.  77 ;  on  Reform,  iv.  91,  93 ;  on 
Ireland,  iv.  151 ;  attacks  Croker, 
iv.  156  ;  on  Church  Reform,  iv. 
255 ;  Lord  Durham's  opinion 
of,  iv.  257;  Macaulay's  opinion 
of,  iv.  327 ;  resigns,  iv.  343 ; 
attacks  his  former  colleagues, 
iv.  352 ;  Russell's  opinion  of, 
iv.  361 

Steamboats,  iii.  25  ;  on  Lake  of 
Constance  (1826),  iii.  147 

Stewart,  Villiers,  iii.  173 

Stormont,  Lord,  iv.  117 

Stowell,  Lord  (Sir  William  Scott), 
iii.  182 

Stuart  Wortley  on  the  Canning 
pension,  iii.  261 

Sturges  Bourne,  Mr.,  iii.  185,  186, 
188,  210,  211,  246,  265 

Sussex,  Duke  of,  iii.  93,  140,  218, 
278;  Ranger  of  Windsor  Park, 
iv.  40  ;  at  the  Garrick  Club,  iv. 
181  ;  on  the  creation  of  Peers, 
iv.  184;  and  the  Bristol  peti- 
tion, iv.  234,  236 

Swinburne,  Sir  John,  iv.  216 

Talleyrand,  iii.  142 ;  his  know- 
ledge of  mankind,  iii.  192  ;  at 
the  opening  of  Parliament 
(1830),  iv.  60;  at  the  Mansion 
House,  iv.  182 

Talma,  tomb  of,  iii.  157 

Tankerville,  Lord,  iii.  78 

Tavistock,  Lord,  iii.  18,  132,  233, 
270,  iv.  70,  321 ;  and  George  IV., 
iii.  163;  at  Oakley,  iii.  166; 
at  Devonshire  House,  iii.  207  ; 
views  on  Reform,  iv.  75,  90  ;  on 
Registration  Bill,  iv.  347 

Taylor,  Michael  Angelo,  iii.  177 

Taylor,  Sir  Brook  (Minister  at 
Munich),  iii.  148 


Taylor,  Sir  Herbert,  iv.  177,  184, 

290 

Tenterden,  Lord,  iii.  220,  iv.  135 
Terceira  case,  the,  iv.  18 
Test   and   Corporation   Acts   Re- 
peal, iii.  258,  278 
Thurlow,  Lord,  iii.  113 
Tierney,  his  duel  with   Pitt,   iii. 
32  ;    says  W^higs  not  pledged  to 
Reform,  ibid.  ;    on  the  Catholic 
Associations,  iii.  86;    on  Sheri- 
dan, ibid.  ;  on  "His  Majesty's 
Opposition,"  iii.  130,  161,   191; 
anecdote  of  Hotham,  iii.   139  ; 
becomes  Master   of    the   Mint, 
194  ;   his  death,  iv.  6 

Tighe,  Mrs.,  iii.  15 

Timber  duties,  iv.  93 

Times,  The,  iii.  243 ;  "Byronicus" 
attacks  the  author  in,  iii.  279; 
and  the  destruction  of  Lord 
Byron's  Memoirs,  iii.  350,  352 
et  seq.  ;  against  the  prosecution 
of  the  editor  of  the  Morning 
Journal,  iv.  4  ;  on  Huskisson's 
death,  iv.  50;  on  Lords  throw- 
ing out  Reform,  iv.  137 ;  the 
editor  on  Lord  Durham,  iv. 
261  ;  on  the  author's  resigna- 
tion of  his  office  and  seat,  iv. 
308  ;  and  the  quarrel  between 
Durham  and  Ellice,  iv.  349 
et  seq. 

Titchfield,  Lord,  death  of,  iii.  30 

Tooke,  Home,  iii.  131 

Townshend  (Lord  Lieutenant  of 
Ireland),  anecdotes  of,  iv.  217 

Trades  Unions'  procession  to  the 
Home  Office,  iv.  334 

Trelawny,  Mr.,  iii.  46 

Trotter  (Lord  Provost),  iii.  128 

Tullamore,  Lady,  iv.   101 

Turner,  General,  iii.  26 

Turner,  the  painter,  iii.  28,  295 

Tweeddale,  Lord,  iii.  281, 288;  and 
the  Duke  of  Wellington,  iv.  2; 
and  his  Government,  iv.  11;  on 
the  state  of  Paris  (1830),  iv.  53 

Twickenham  Meadows,  iii.  112, 
iv.  252 

Twisleden,  Mrs.,  iii.  109 

Twiss,  Horace,  iv.  18,  38 

Tyrrwhit,  Sir  Thos.  (Black  Rod), 
iii.  52 

Ulysses,  General,  iii.  47 
United     Service    Institution    in 
ftugurated,  iv.  192 


382 


INDEX 


Vandeweyer,  Mr.,  iv.  57,  65,  79 
Vansittart,  made  a  Peer,  iii.  1 1 
Vernon,  Harcourt,  iv    120 
Verona,  Congress  of,  iii.  9 
Vestry  Bill  (the  author's),  iii.  320, 

iv.   14,  15,  22,  40,  75,  86,  133, 

134,    135,    144;     becomes   law, 

145 
Victoria,      Princess      (afterwards 

Queen  Victoria),  iv.  206 
Villa  Diodati,  iii.  287 
"  Vivian  Grey,"  iii.  135 
Vyvyan,  Sir  R.,  iv.  103,  104 

Wakefield,  Mr.,  iv.  358 

Walewski,  Count,  iv.  99 

Wall,  Mr.  Baring,  iv.  87 

Wallensee  lake,  the,  iii.  148 

War  Office  business,  iv.  253  ;  dis- 
cord with  the  Horse  Guards,  iv. 
287  ;  Committee  inquires  into, 
iv.  318 

War  Secretaryship,  offer  of,  iv. 
lQ5etseq. 

Warburton,  Mr.  (M.P.),  iv.  29, 
359 

Ward,  Mr.  Plumer,  iv.  342 

Warren,  Dr.,  iv.  317 

Washington,  G.,  iii.  23 

Waterloo,  some  truths  about,  iii. 
267  ;  Simond's  story  about,  iii. 
288 

Webster,  Lady,  iii.  247 

Weekly  Dispatch,  The,  iv.  327 

Wellesley,  Lady,  iii.  247 

Wellesley,  Lord,  iv.  331 

Wellington,  Duke  of,  on  the  losses 
at  Badajoz,  iii.  82  ;  on  Lord 
Liverpool's  indolence,  iii.  182; 
disagreement  with  Canning,  iii. 
184 ;  his  financial  ability,  iii. 
190  ;  his  mission  to  St.  Peters- 
burg (1826),  iii.  220  (note) ;  ex- 
ample of  his  reticence,  iii.  222  ; 
helps  Napier  in  his  "  History," 
iii.  225 ;  sent  for  to  form  a 
Government,  iii.  235 ;  his  in- 
clusion of  Huskisson,  iii.  237, 
241 ;  and  Ellenborough,  iii.  240 ; 
nearly  wrecked  on  voyage  to 
Portugal,  iii.  255  ;  author  meets 
him  at  dinner,  iii.  264 ;  fre- 
quent changes  in  his  Cabinet, 
iii.  273 ;  his  opinion  of  the 
author,  iii.  285;  and  the  Catholic 
Relief  Bill,  iii.  310,  315,  316  ; 
his  duel  with  Lord  Winchilsea, 
iii.  313  ;  falls  off  his  horse,  iii. 


321  ;  Lord  Holland's  criticism 
of,  322,  iv.  38  ;  and  Lord  Grey, 
ibid.  ;  on  the  French  revolu- 
tion of  1830,  iv.  44;  at  opening 
of  Liverpool  and  Manchester 
railway,  iv.  49 ;  declares  against 
Reform,  iv.  56  ;  and  the  King's 
visit  to  the  City,  iv.  62  ;  visits 
Mr.  Vandeweyer,  iv.  65  ;  end  of 
his  Administration,  iv.  69  ;  his 
resistance  to  Reform,  iv.  95, 
116,  134,  184,  207;  his  windows 
broken,  iv.  141,  244;  on  flogging 
in  the  Army,  iv.  197  ;  at  the 
Speaker's  Levee,  iv.  211;  in 
favour  of  some  reform,  iv.  212  ; 
sent  for  to  form  Government 
(1832),  iv.  223;  proposes  to 
carry  Reform,  iv.  224  et  seq.  ; 
failure,  iv.  226 ;  his  explana- 
tion, iv.  230 ;  for  Irish  Church 
Reform,  iv.  324  ;  on  the  Thirty- 
Nine  Articles,  iv.  333 

Westmacott,  iii.  15 

Westminster,  author  elected  for 
(1826),  iii.  137;  re-elected  1830, 
iv.  29;  1831, iv.  109;  onaccept- 
ing  office,  iv.  172;  Colonel  Evans 
to  oppose  the  author,  iv.  260  ; 
re-elected  (1832),  iv.  264;  re- 
signs on  the  question  of  House 
and  Window  Tax,  iv.  305;  stands 
again  and  is  defeated  by  Col. 
Evans,  iv.  310 

Westminster  Abbey  roof  on  fire, 
iii.  308 

Westminster  Dinners,  iv.  113, 
244 

Wetherell,  Sir  Charles  (Attorney- 
General),  on  Catholic  Relief 
Bill,  iii.  311  ;  on  Reform  Bill, 
iv.  89  ;  on  Reform  riots,  iv.  141 

Wharncliffe,  Lord,  iv.  104;  op- 
poses Reform  Bill,  iv.  134  ;  on 
the  riots,  iv.  142 ;  decides  to 
vote  for  the  Bill,  iv.  207 

Wherry  (Charge  d'affaires  at  Dres- 
den), iii.  49 

Whigs,  need  of  union  among  the, 
iii.  234 

Whitbread,  Mr.  S.,  iii.  118,  122, 
161,  iv.  28 

White,  Miss  Lydia,  iii.  102 

Whitebait  Dinner,  Ministerial,  iv. 
361 

Whitton  Park,  iii.  45,  IQetseq., 
209,  227,  280 

Wilberforce,  iii.  17,  204 


INDEX 


383 


Wilbraham,    Roger,   iii,    22,    125, 

126,  244 
Wildman,  Colonel  (of  Newstead), 

iii.  70,  iv.  162 
Wilkie,  David,  iv.  13 
Wilkins,  Mr.  (of  the  Asiatic  Club), 

iii.  48,  143 
Williams,  Mr.  John  (M.P.),  iii.  51, 

72 

Wilmot  Horton,  iii.  265,  333 
Wilson,  Sir  Robert,  iii.   115;    his 

conduct  to  Lorct  Grey,  iii.  195  ; 

on  Canning's  illness,  iii.  213  ;  on 

the  Navarino  debate,  iii.  242  ; 

restored    to    his   rank,    iv.    40 ; 

speech  on  Reform  Bill,  iv.  102 
Wimbledon,    Lambton's  villa   at, 

iii.   45  ;    Duke  of  Somerset  at, 

iii.  211,  229 

Winchilsea,    Lord,    attacks    Can- 
ning,    iii.     189 ;      on     Catholic 

Relief,  iii.   312  ;   his  duel  with 

Wellington,  iii.  313 
Windham,  W.,  iii.   126,   138;    as 

Colonial  Secretary,  iii.  307  ;  at 

Westminster  Abbey  fire,  iii.  308 ; 

his  despatches,  iv.  11 


Windsor  Castle,  expenses  of,  iv. 

85  ;   King  William  on,  iv.  363 
Winn,  Mr.  (M.P.  for  Maiden),  iii. 

158 
Wolff,   the   missionary,   iii.    171  ; 

and  Lady  Hester  Stanhope,  iii. 

172 
Wood,   Charles  (afterwards  Lord 

Halifax),  iv.  144,  308,  327,  340 
Wood,  Francis  (M.P.),  iii.  247 
Woods  and   Forests,   the   author 

becomes  Minister  for,  iv.  356 
Woolaston,  Dr.,  iii.  231 
Wrottesley,  Sir  J.,  iii.  125 
Wurtemberg,  King  of,  iv.  41,  42 

York,  Duke  of,  on  the  Catholic 
Bill    (1823),    iii.    10;     visit    to 
Woolwich     with     Emperor     of 
Russia,    iii.    27 ;     on    Catholic 
claims,  iii.   96;    his  death,  iii. 
161  ;    his  debts,  iv.  7 
Yorke,  Sir  Joseph,  iii.  301 
Young,    Col.,   secretary    to    Lord 
Hastings,  iii.  45 

Zoological  Gardens,  the,  iv.  323 


PRINTED  BY 

HAZELL,   WATSON  AND  V1NEY,  LD. 
LONDON   AND  AYLESBURV. 


DA  Broughton,  John  Cam 

536  Hobhouse 

B75A3       Recollections  of  a  long 

v.4  life 


PLEASE  DO  NOT  REMOVE 
CARDS  OR  SLIPS  FROM  THIS  POCKET 

UNIVERSITY  OF  TORONTO  LIBRARY